BOOK IX. Lxxxv. 180-182 



Islands, situated off a promontory of Mt. Taurus" 

 in the rockv sea of Asia ; this fish is frequent there, 

 and is quickly caught, in one variety. A fisherman 

 sails out a certain distance in a small boat, wearing 

 clothes that match the boat in colour, and at the 

 same time for several days running, and throws out 

 bait ; but if any alteration whatever be made, the 

 prey suspects a trick and avoids the thing that has 

 frightened it. When this has been done a number 

 of times, at last one anthias is tempted by fiimiharity 

 to try to get the bait. This one is marked down 

 with careful attention as a foundation for hope and 

 as a decoy for a catch ; and it is not difficult to 

 mark it, as for several days only this one ventures 

 to come close. At last it finds others as well, and 

 gradually enlarging its company finally brings shoals 

 too big to count, as by this time all the oldest fish 

 have got used to recognizing the fisherman and 

 snatching the bait out of his hand. Then he throws 

 a hook fixed in the bait a Httle beyond his fingers, 

 and catches or rather rushes them one by one, 

 snatching them with a short jerk away from the 

 shadow of the boat so that the others may not 

 notice it, while another man in the boat receives 

 the catch in some rags so that no flapping or noise 

 may drive away the others. It pays to know the 

 decoy fish for this purpose, so that he may not 

 be caught, as thenceforward the shoal will swim 

 away. There is a story that a disaffected partner in 

 a fishery lay in wait for the leader fish, which was 

 very well known, and caught it, with malicious 

 intent ; Mucianus adds that it was recognized in the 

 market by the partner who was being victimized, 

 and that proceedings for damage were instituted and 



285 



