HALIEUTICA, II. 508-533 



turn away or escape : a fierce gadfly ^ which infests 

 their fins and which, when the burning Dog-star is 

 newly risen, fixes in them the swift might of its bitter 

 sting, and with sharp assault stirs them to grievous 

 madness, making them drunk with pain. With the 

 lash of frenzy it drives them to dance against their 

 will ; maddened by the cruel blow they rush and now 

 here, now there ride over the waves, possessed by 

 pain unending. Often also they leap into well- 

 beaked ships, driven by the stress of their distemper ; 

 and often they leap forth from the sea and rush wTith- 

 ing upon the land, and exchange their weary agonies 

 for death ; so dire pain is heaNy upon them and 

 abates not. Yea, for oxen ^ also, when the cruel gad; 

 fly attacks them and plunges its arrow in their tender 

 flanks, have no more regard for the herdsmen nor for 

 the pasture nor for the herd, but leaving the grass and 

 all the folds they rush, whetted by frenzy ; no river 

 nor untrodden sea nor rugged ravine nor pathless 

 rock stays the course of the bulls, when the gadfly hot 

 and sharp impels, urging them ^\^th keen pains. 

 EveryAvhere there is bellowing, everj'where range 

 their bounding hoofs : such bitter tempest drives. 

 This pain the fishes suffer even as do the cattle. 

 The Dolphins lord it greatly among the herds of the 



thjTino et ei qui gladiiis vocatur crebro delphini magni- 

 tudinem excedenti sub pinna alEgit aculeo, tantoque in- 

 festat dolore, at in naves saepenumero exsiliant ; Athen. 

 30-2 b-c. The characteristic parasite of the Tunny Ls 

 Brachiella thynni Cuv., that of the Sword-fish Ptnnatula 

 filosa Graelin. 



* A}M)U. Rh. i. 1-365 tit 5' 8re ris re /uWirt TervfifUvo% t<ravTO 

 Tcvpoi I rlffta. re xpo\iT<l>j» /cat eXetrir^^os, ovSi vofiTjwf | oi'5' 

 076X17? dOerai, Tprjaaei 8' bbbv aWor' S.irav<rTos, \ dXXorc 5' 

 iffTdfifvoi Kai dva. xXari/i' ai'Xfv' aelposv | tifffiv fivKijfui koxi^ 

 Pf^oXrifiivos olffrpif). Cf. Horn. Od. xxii. 299; Verg. G. iii. 146 if. 



329 



