HALIEUTICA, II. 462-i86 



For the Sting-ray " and the Swordfish * God has 

 put in their bodies most powerful gifts, equipping 

 each A\ith a weapon of exceeding might. Above the 

 jaw of the Swordfish he has set a natural sword, 

 upright and sharp, no sabre of iron but a mighty 

 sword with the strength of adamant. When he puts 

 his weight behind his terrible spear not even the 

 hardest rock may endure the wound ; so fierce and 

 fiery is the onset. 



In the Sting-ray there springs from below the tail 

 a fierce sting, at once grievous in its power and deadly 

 with its venom. Neither the Sword-fishes nor the 

 Sting-rays will taste any food with their jaws, until 

 they have first wounded with their deadly jaws what- 

 ever prey is at hand whether it be alive or lifeless. 

 But when the breath of life forsakes the Sword-fish, 

 his mighty sword straightway perishes with him and 

 his weapon is quenched with its master and there is 

 left a bone of no account, a great sword only to 

 behold and thou couldst do nothing with it if thou 

 wouldst. But than the wound of the Sting-ray there 

 is no more e\il hurt, neither in the warlike weapons 

 which the hands of the smith contrive nor in the 

 deadly drugs which Persian pharmacists have de\ised 

 upon their winged arrows. While the Sting-ray lives, 

 a terrible and fiery weapon attends it, such, I ween, 

 as a man trembles to hear of, and it lives when the 

 Sting-ray itself has perished and preserves its un- 



pastinacam appellant, quincunciali magnitudine. Arbores 

 infixus radici necat, arma ut telum perforat vi ferri et veneni 

 raalo letalis trj^gon ; Auson. Ep. xiv. 60 ; Ael. i. 56, ii. 36, 

 ii. 30, viii. iQ. xi. 37, xvii. 18. 



^ " Xiphias gladius, M.G. ft^ioj (Bik. p. 82). A. 505 b 18, 

 506 b 16, 603 a 26 ; Athen. 3U e; Ael. Lx. 40, xiv. 23 and 

 26, XV. 6; Plin. iv. 3, 5\, and 145. 



325 



