OPPIAN 



avra ^eXatvojJievrj, dr^pcbv <^o\iheaaiv ofjiotr]. 

 rrjv S ore (f)vai6coaav e)(iv ipoXoecrarav iSyyTat, 

 dvrla yvpaxras rrpoKaXeaaaro drjpa hai^OLv-qv. 

 dcrTTis" 8' LO<f>6pov TTcXas avrrietpe Koiprjvov, 

 arrjdea r evpvve, arv(f)eX6v d VTrea'qpev obovra, 

 fiapva/Jievrj yevveaaiv irojata XevyaXdrjcriv . 

 dXX' OVK L-)(yevjx(X)v tot' dpTJ'Cos iv ifiafxadoLaL 

 Br]dvv€L, TTLKpcbv §€ dopcjv iSpd^aro XaLpiCxiv, 

 SapSaTTTeL re yevvaaiv eXiaGOjJievrjv eKarepde, 

 Kal V€Kvv avTiK edrfK dTTo^uiXLOv iKTTTVovaav 

 TTevKeSavov davaroio (f)iXov, ^ap,evfj )(6Xov, lov. 



Nat pirjv aloXo^ovXos irr dypavXotaL jxaXLora 

 drjpal TTeXei KepSco, /xaA' dpy^'Cos iv TrpaTrlSecraL' 

 Kal TTLVvrrj P'atet 7Tvp,aroLS evt (ficoXeiolaiv , 

 eTTTaTTuXovs oi^aaa hofxovs rprjrds re KaXidg 

 rrjXod^ dn' dXXrjXcov, fxiq fjiiv Orjp-qTopes dvSpes 

 dfjL(f)i dvp-p Xoxoojvres vtto ^poxi^Seaacv dycovrai' 

 dpyaXer] yevueaai /cat dvria SrjpLaaadac 

 dripai t' dpeiorepoiai Kal dypevTrjpat Kvveaaiv. 

 €vr€ 8e p^et/xa Tre'Aet Kpvepov ^oglos re p^aTt^et, 

 yvfxval S' i^/xeptSe? rrepl ^orpvaLV IvSdXXovrai, 

 8r) Tore Kal drjpdv^ TnKprjv eirl ixijnv ix^aLvei, 

 olcovovs re SoXoioiv eXelv Kal reKva Xayojoyv. 



^ 6r]pav or 6rjpr)v or dfjpa mss. 



" " The name Spy-slange [given to it by the Boers], 

 meaning Spitting Snake, refers to the habit which this and 

 other African Cobras have of letting the poison drop from 

 the mouth like saliva when they are excited" {Camb. N.H. 

 viii. p. 628). 



* The cunning of the Fox is of course proverbial: A. 

 488 b 20 TO. fiev Travovpya Kal KaKovpya olov aXwin]^. Hence its 

 name Kepdw (i.e. Kepda\€6<ppwv}, a fem. Kosename or pet-name 



150 



