HALIEUTICA, III. 357-384. 



all the day, as if they had acquired a house, and 

 an e\'il nest they find it. As when to the house of 

 a fatherless youth his age-fellows, who study not 

 sobriety, gather all day bidden and unbidden, wast- 

 ing evermore the possessions of the masterless house, 

 in such practices as foohsh young men are incited to 

 by the waywardness of youth, and in their folly find 

 an evil end ; even so for the gathered fishes doom 

 stands nigh at hand. For when they become many 

 and fat, then the man puts a well-fitting cover on 

 the mouth of the weel and takes captive the fishes 

 huddhng within the enclosure and sleeping their 

 last sleep. Too late they perceive their doom and 

 struggle and strive to get out — foohsh fishes who find 

 the weel no longer so pleasant a home. 



Against the Admon " they prepare in autumn a 

 w«el of osiers and moor it in the midst of the waves, 

 fastening to the bottom a bored stone ^ by way of 

 anchor, while corks '^ support the trap above. In it 

 they always put four wet stones from the beach. 

 On the wet stones grows a milky slime of the sea, 

 desire for which attracts the wretched little fishes, a 

 greedy race, which gather and rush to the weel and 

 remain in its embrace. The Admon, seeing them 

 gathered within the hollow retreat, all speedily rush 

 upon them, eager for a feast. But them they do not 

 overtake : they easily slip away : but the Admon 

 are nowise able, for all their endeavour, to escape 

 again from the plaited ambush, but, preparing woe 



ffva^y (TvaKioy = \l/iJTTa. Cf. Du Cange s. criaKioy and s. 



* Horn. Od. xiii. 77 Treicrfia 5' fKvffav diro rprfroio \iOoio = 

 ypuvTjs x^P/J^Sos Lycophr. -20. Cf. Hesych. s. ypwvovs. With 

 ciTcuTT^po cf. eiVat = anchors, Horn. //. i. +36, etc. 



" H. iii. 103 n. 



377 



