HALIEUTICA, II. 251-278 



seeking an unsubstantial food, and come not forth, 

 until the mild spring be in its prime. 



Above all other the dashing Crayfish « and the 

 Muraena ^ and the Poulpes have a bitter feud mth 

 each other and destroy one another ^v•ith mutual 

 slaughter. Always there is fishy war and strife 

 between them, and one fills his maw with the other. 

 The raging Muraena comes forth <= from her sea- 

 washed rock and speeds through the waves of the 

 deep in quest of food. Anon it descries a Poulpe 

 crawling on the edge of the shore and rushes gladly 

 on a welcome prey. The Poulpe is not unaware that 

 the Muraena is at hand. First in terror he turns to 

 flee, but he has no means to escape the Muraena, he 

 crawling while she swims and rdshea incoirtiuentiy. 

 Speedily she catches the Poulpe and fixes her deadly 

 teeth in him. The Poulpe, on the other hand, albeit 

 un^\•illing, fights under deadly compulsion and twines 

 around her limbs, contriving all manner of twists, now 

 this, now that, with his crooked whips, if haply, 

 embracing her in his nooses, he may stay her onset. 

 But for his evil plight there is no cure nor escape. 

 When the Poulpe enfolds her, the nimble Muraena 

 with her slippery Hmbs easily escapes through his 

 embrace Uke water. But the Poulpe twines now 

 round her spotted back, now round her neck, now 

 round her very tail, and anon rushes into the gates of 

 her mouth and the recesses of her jaws. Even as two 

 men skilled in valiant wTestling long time display 

 their might against each other ; already from the 



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 elffdvaa olvt^ to, aiVd Sp^ Kai fiK&rus' r] fxev yap vi^ktikti, 6 5e 

 ioLKtv epirovTi' el 8i Kai rpeiroiTO ttjv xpoav rdj irerpas, ?oik€v 

 avTi^ TO ff6<(>i.<rfui alptlv ov5e iv tovto' iari yap (TiviSeiv £Keivr) 

 Seivr; rov i^ijlov to iraXdfirjua. 



307 



