OPPIAN 



oAAa TO jxev (f>iXeovaL, ro 8' e-)(daipovoi xo^olctlv^- 61( 

 avrals 8' ayKaXtSeaaLv icov redvqKe^ tokyjcov. 



Ov jjbev drjv oi38' daTraXaKcvv avToxOova <f>vXa 

 TTOiotfxxycov, dXawv, /xeAvretv ideXovacv doiSai, 

 el /cat ^d^LS aTTLorog err' dvdpcoTTOvg errep-qcrev 

 aanaXaKas ^aaiXrjos acj) aifMaros €V)(erda<j6aL 61{ 

 ^Lveos, ov p aTcrr^Xe KXvrrj Qprfiaaa KoXoivq' 

 Oire'l" ydp TTore Srj Oae^cov eKoreaaaro Tirdv, 

 fiavTiTToXov ^OL^oio ^(oXcoadp.evos Trepl VLKrjs;, 

 /cat ol cj)€yyos dp.epaev, dvaihea ^vXa 8' eVe/xi/rev 

 dpTTVcas, Trrepoevra Trapecrrca TTiKpd yevedXa. 62( 



dXX errel ovv Trepocovro jxera '^(^pvaeiov dedXov 

 Apywrjs €7tI vrjos I'^aovt (Jvp,7ToveovT€9 

 TTatSe BopcLoveo) Zt^tt^? KaAat? re KXeevvo), 

 OLKreipavre yepovra KareKreivav rore (f)vXa, 

 /cat yXvKeprjv /xeAeotat Boaav orrofiaTeaaLV ebrjTin^. 62f 

 dAA' oi58' cos Oae^cov )(oXov evvaaev, aAAa jjliv 



alipa 

 doTTaXaKOiv TToiiqae yevog pirj irpoadev iovrcov 

 TovveKa vvv dAaov' re pueveL /cat Xd^pov eSojSatS". 



^ X6xoio A2 in ras. BGH : wodotcn CDE. 

 * TidvTjKe Pauw : idave I : iKreive. 



» derirdXaf both in Opp. and in A. 488 a 21, 491 b 28, 

 333 a 3, 605 b 31 , etc. , is prob. Spalax typhlus, a rodent 

 " with much of the external appearance of our mole but 

 considerably larger, . . . of a silvery grey colour, without 

 any external eyes or tail" (Tristr. p. 121). It is found in 

 the Cyclades, where it is called rxKpXowovriKos {i.e. blind- 

 rat), Erh. p. 21. Neither our Common Mole, Talpa europaea, 

 nor T. caeca has been found in the Cyclades (Erh. I.e.) 

 or in Palestine (Tristr. p. 100) ; in continental Greece T. 

 europaea is not found and the occurrence of T. caeca seems 

 to be doubtful. 



110 



