BOOK IX, Lxxxiii. 177-LXXXV. 180 



at the outflow of the river Lycus fishes are born from 

 eggs left in the mud that seek their fodder by 

 flapping with their little gills, and this makes them not 

 need moisture, which is the reason why eels also hve 

 comparatively long when taken out of the water, 

 while eggs mature in a dry place, for instance 

 tortoise's eggs. (4) In the same region of the Black 

 Sea the fish most frequently caught in the ice is the 

 goby, which is only made to reveal the movement 

 of Hfe by the heat of the saucepan. These accounts 

 indeed, however marvellous, do nevertheless embody 

 a certain principle. The same authority reports that 

 in Paphlagonia earth-fish extremely acceptable for 

 food are dug out of deep trenches in places where 

 there is no overflow from streams ; and after himself 

 expressing surprise at their being propagated with- 

 out coupUng, he gives the view that at all events 

 they have a supply of moisture in them similar to 

 that in wells — but as if fish were found in any wells ! 

 Whatever the fact is as to this, it certainly makes 

 the hfe of moles, an undergi-ound animal, less re- 

 markable, unless perhaps these fishes also possess 

 the nature of earth-worms. 



LXXXIV. But credibihty is given to all these suewater- 

 statements by the flooding of the Nile, ^vith a marvel 

 that surpasses them all : this is that, when the river 

 withdraws its covering, water-mice are found with the 

 work of generative water and earth uncompleted — 

 they are already ahve in a part of their body, but 

 the most recently formed part of their structure is 

 still of earth. 



LXXXV. Nor is it proper to omit the stories about Theanthiai 

 the anihias fish that I notice to have won ffeneral 



o 



acceptance. We have mentioned the Swallow 



283 



mice. 



