HALIEUTICA, II. 135-157 



and fix in the midst of the palate of the Basse the 

 sharp horn " which springs from the top of their heads. 

 The Basse, glutted with the prey which he loves, 

 heeds not the prick. But it spreads and creeps apace, 

 until, worn out with pain, doom overtakes him ; and 

 too late he knows that he is stricken by the spear of 

 the dead.** 



There is a fish which is at home in the mud, even 

 the ravenous Ox-ray, '^ broadest among all fishes ; for 

 indeed his breadth is often eleven cubits or twelve. 

 But in might he is a weakling, and his body is devoid of 

 strength and soft. The teeth within his mouth are in- 

 conspicuous, small and not strong. By might he could 

 not overpower anything, but by craft he ensnares and 

 overcomes even cunning men. For he greatly delights 

 to banquet upon man and human flesh above all is to 

 him pleasing and a welcome food. When he beholds 

 anyone of those men who have their business in the 

 deep waters of the brine descending to the nether 

 depths, he rises lightly above his head and swims 

 steadfastly, like the roof of a house, stretched about 

 him inexorably. WTiere the wretched man goes, he 

 goes, and when the man halts, he stands over him 

 hke a lid. As a boy sets a guileful doom for greedy 

 mice ; and the mouse, not dreaming of the ambush 

 of the trap, is driven within by the desire of the belly ; 



appellant. . . . Omnia autem carnivora sunt talia . . . et 

 cum ceteri pisces ova pariant, hoc genus solum, ut ea quae 

 cete appellant, animal pariat, excepta quam ranam vocant. 

 Gf. Athen. 330 a; Ael. i. 19, xi. 37; Phil. 100; Ov. Hal. 

 9 i Nam gaudent pelago quales scombrique bovesque (Plin. 

 xxxii. 152). Clearly one of the Rays — probably C*pAa/o/i<errt 

 Oiorna = Couch's Ox-ray. Some members of this family 

 {Cephalopffriilaf) attain an incredible size — one taken at 

 Messina weighing more than half a ton. 



295 



