HALIEUTICA, II. 589-613 



leaps above the foam of the sea, if haply the bold 

 swarm of overweening fishes may let him go. But 

 they, relentless, no \nse abate their violence but cling 

 to him all the same ; when he dives, they dive along 

 with him ; when he leaps up again, they likewise 

 spring forth from the sea in his train. You would say 

 that the Shaker of the Earth had gotten a new and 

 monstrous birth, half Dolphin and half Amia ; so 

 grievous the bond of teeth where\\ith he is bound. 

 As when a cunning physician drains a swollen wound, 

 within which is gathered much unwholesome blood, 

 and he apphes to the flesh of the sufferer the watery 

 brood, the dark-hued reptiles of the marsh," to feast 

 on his black blood ; and straightway they become 

 arched and rounded and draw the filth and abate not 

 until having drained the strong drink of blood they 

 roll of themselves from the flesh and fall hke drunken 

 men ; even so the fury of the Amia abates not until 

 they have devoured with the mouth the flesh which 

 they once seized. But when they leave him and the 

 Dolphin gets a breathing-space from toil, then shalt 

 thou behold the rage of the angry lord of fishes and 

 deadly doom appears for the Amia. They flee ; and 

 he behind working havoc, like hurricane of evil noise, 

 lays all waste, devouring them incontinently, and 

 with ravening jaws reddens the sea with blood ; and 

 he avenges the despite that he suffered. Even so in 



Plin. viii. 29 hirudine quam sanguisugara vulgo coepisse 

 appellari adverto. For the Leech in medical use c/. Plin. 

 xxxii. 1-23 Diversus hirudinum, quas sanguisugas vocant, 

 ad extrahendum sanguinem usus est. Quippe eadem ratio 

 earura quae cucurbitularum medicinalium ad corpora levanda 

 sanguine, spiramenta laxanda iudicatur ; multi podagris 



auoque admittendas censuere. Decidunt satiatae et pon- 

 ere ipso sanguinis detractae aut sale aspersae. 



335 





