HALIEUTICA, III. 247-275 



and open their beaks in their desire for food, and all 

 the house of some hospitable man resounds \^-ith the 

 shrill crying of the mother bird ; even so the fishes 

 leap joyfully to meet their feeder as he comes, even as 

 in the circle of a dance. And the fisherman fattening 

 them with dainty after dainty and with his hand strok- 

 ing them and proffering them his gifts from his hand, 

 tames their friendly heart, and anon they obey him 

 hke a master, and wheresoever he indicates ^\■ith his 

 finger ,*• there they swiftly rush. Now behind the boat, 

 now in front, now landward he points his hand ; and 

 thou shalt see them, like boys in a place of wTCstling, 

 according to the -wisdom of a man, rushing this way 

 or that as their master bids. But when he has tended 

 them enough and bethinks him of taking them, then 

 he seats himself with a line in his left hand and fits 

 thereto a hook, strong and sharp. Then all the fishes 

 alike he turns away, commanding them \\ith his hand, 

 or he takes a stone and casts it in the water, and they 

 dive after it, thinking it to be food. One picked fish 

 alone he leaves, whichsoever he will — unhappy fish, 

 rejoicing in a banquet which is to be its last. Then 

 he reaches down the hook over the sea and the fish 

 swiftly seizes its doom ; and the bold fisher draws 

 it in with both hands, winning a speedy prey by his 

 cunning. And he avoids the notice of the rest of 

 the company of Anthias ; for if they see or hear the 

 din of the unhappy \ictim being landed, then the 

 fisher will never more have banquets enough to tempt 

 the fishes to return, but they spurn with loathing 

 both his attentions and the place of destruction. 



attache au bout d'un long roseau, qu'il tient de la main 

 droite. Les poissons le suivent en grand norabre, et de la 

 main le pecheur leur moutre en quelque sorte le chemin a 

 prendre." 



2 b 369 



