OPPIAN 



eivaXioL' KOi rols yap ctt' oarpea htjtls oTnqSel- 

 aAA ov Xdav ayovcrt avvlpLTTopov ou8' eTTiKovpov 

 KetvoL, rprjxv Se kcoXov evrjpeiaavro fieaoiat 

 TTeTTrafxdvoLS' ra p,kv a)Se Tne^erat, ol Se vepiovrai. li 

 "OarpaKov av ^vdias p-ev ex^t TrAa/ca?, eV Se ol 

 Ix^vg 

 TTLvvrj vaierdei KeK\rjp.€.vos ' rj pev dvaXKLs 

 ovre TL p,rjTiaaadai eTTLcrrarat ovre tl pe^ai, 

 dXX dpa ol ^vvov re hopov ^vvqv re KaXvTrrprjv 

 KapKivos evvaiei, (f>€p^€i Se' p,Lv rjhe (f>vXdaaei' 

 rep Kal 7TLvvo(f)vXa^ KiKXiqaKeraL- aAA' ore KoyXov 

 t'X^^'S evSov LKrjraL, 6 8' ov (f)pov€ovaav dpLV^as 

 S-qypLari /cepSaAe'o) Trivvrjv eAev -q S' ohvvr^aiv 

 oarpaKa avpLTrXardyrjae Kal evSov i(f)pdaaaro dyprjv 

 avrfj T T^S' irdptp, ^vvov 6^ dp,a ScIttvov eXovro. i< 



" A. P. A. (581 bH Kal TO twv aarepoov earl ytvos' Kai yap 

 TOVTO irpo<nrl.irTov iyxvp-i^ei iroWa tu)v darpiwv ; Ael. ix. 22 

 tA fjikv Kexv*'^ TToWaKLS \pvxovs Seofieva Kai dXXwj ei tL ffipiaiv 

 ifnr€(Toi TOVTif Tpa<pr]CT6fj.eva- o'l roivvv aar^pes fieuov tQjv 6<TrpdKwv 

 Sieipovffiv iv kovXov rOiv (rcperipuiv iKauToz Kai ifMirifiirXavTat 

 TWV ffapKuiv, 5i€ipyofiiv(i}v crvveXdeiv tQv oaTpaKuv a^'Ois. Cf. 

 C.X.H. I.e. "Sometimes in a single night a whole bed of 

 oysters will be destroyed by an invasion of Star-fish," where 

 different accounts of the procedure of Star-fish are given : 

 1. The Star-fish wraps its turned-out stomach round the 

 Oj'^ster, enclosing the mouth of the shell so that the Oyster 

 sickens, the hinge-spring relaxes its hold, and the shell 

 opening permits the Star-fish to suck the gelatinous con- 

 tents. 2. The Star-fish seizes the Ojster with two of his 

 fingers, while with the other three he files away the edge 



298 



