HALIEUTICA, II. 612-655 



The Grey Mullet," I hear, among all the fishes of 

 the sea nurses the gentlest and most righteous * mind. 

 For only the kindly Grey Mullets harm neither one 

 of their own kind nor any of another race. Nor do 

 they touch wth their Ups fleshly food nor drink blood, 

 but feed harmlessly, unstained of blood and doing no 

 hurt, a holy race. Either upon the green seaweed 

 they feed or on mere mud, and Uck the bodies one of 

 the other. Wherefore also among fishes they have 

 honourable regard and none harms their young brood, 

 as they do that of others, but refrain the violence 

 of their ravenous teeth. Thus always and among all 

 reverend Justice hath her privilege appointed and 

 everywhere she wins her meed of honour. But all 



les ovaires entiers, en tachant de ne pas produire lamoindre 

 coupure a leur mince enveloppe. On les laisse pendant 

 quatre heures dans du sel. Apres, on les lave, on les place 

 entre deux planches pour leur donner la forme sous laquelle 

 on les volt habituellement dans le commerce, et on les laisse 

 exposes au soleil pendant 4 a 8 jours. Une fois complete- 

 ment sees, ils sont prets a etre vendus ; mais si on veut les 

 conserver pendant longtemps, on les entoiire d'une couche 

 de cire en les pla^'ant pendant un instant dans la cire jaune 

 fondue, d'oii on les retire brusquement." 



* Cf. H. i. Ill ; A. 591 a 17 a\\r]\o4>a'yovai Si irdvTf^ fj^v 

 tXtjj/ Ke(rrp4(j}S . , . 6 Se K4(pa\os /cat 6 Kecrrpevs 5Xwj fj-ovoi oii 

 crapKO<payov<np' crrjixeiov 8e, ovTf yap iv ry KoiXig. irdnroT exovrei 

 elX-qfi/jLevoi fieri tolovtov ovdev ovTf SeXeari xp^'''''"-^ irpbs avrovi 

 i^unot' (Tap^iv dWa /J-a^n. Tp4(f>eTai 5i irds Ke<rrpei)s (pvKiois Kai 

 d^MV ; Athen. 307 ; "Plut. Mar. 965 e ; Ael. i. 3 ; Suid. s. 

 Kearpels. The teeth in these fishes are either entirely absent 

 or very fine. "In an aquarium it is most interesting to 

 observe them suck in the sand, the coarser portion of which 

 they almost immediately afterwards expel from their mouths. 

 A sifting or filtering apparatus exists in the pharynx, which 

 precludes large and hard substances from passing into the 

 stomach, or sand from obtaining access to the gills " Day 

 i. p. -2-29. 



339 



