HALIEUTICA, III. 430-458 



of the Saupes ; since their wits are easily scared 

 and a scare renders vain the labour of the fisher. 



No fish, I declare, delights in meaner bait than 

 doth the Red Mullet ° ; for it feeds on all the silt *" 

 of the sea that it can find and it loves especially 

 evil-smelling food. It delights exceedingly in the 

 rotting bodies of men, when the dolorous sea makes 

 any man its prey. Wherefore fishers easily take 

 them with smelly baits which have a hateful breath. 

 Red Mullets and Swine, <^ I declare, have like habits, 

 wallowing always in filth for the desire of the belly : 

 and the Red Mullets have the same distinction 

 among the finny tribes as Swine have among the 

 herds of the land. 



The Melanurus ** thou shalt not easily beguile and 

 carry away either with weel or with the encirchng 

 net. For the Melanurus among all fishes is eminent 

 at once for cowardice and for prudence, and gluttonous 

 bait * is never pleasing to it. Always when the sea 

 is calm it lies in the sands and rises not from the 

 brine. But when under stress of violent winds the 

 sea rages and billows, then do the Melanurus alone 

 speed over the sea together, fearing not any man 

 nor any creature of the sea. While all the rest for 

 fear dive to the nether foundations of the sea, the 

 Melanurus haunt the sounding shores or draw to the 

 rocks as they roam in search of any food that the 

 wind-beaten sea may show them. Foolish fishes ! 

 which know not how much more cunning are men, 

 who take them captive despite all their endeavour 



* A. 595 a 18 eirxjepiaTaTov irpiis racrav Tpo<t>T\v twv ^tfiUf iffriv 



<* C. ii. 391 n. Oppian's account of the habits of the 

 Melanurus is paraphrased by Ael. i. +1. 

 ' A. 591 a 15 iuf\dvoi'pos (pvKioii (Tp€<p€Tai). 



383 



