HALIEUTICA, IV. 68-92 



dark : they labour sorely, wandering in gloom and 

 untrodden ways, and hold each the other's hands" and 

 pull and are pulled, a helpful exchange of toil ; 

 even so those fishes help each other in mutual love. 

 But just this devises destruction * for the poor fishes 

 and fatal and sorrowful they find their love when 

 they are destroyed by the craft of fishermen. Four 

 fishers embark on a swift boat, of whom two attend 

 to the labour of the oar while the third weaves a 

 crafty de\'ice. Fastening a female "^ Parrot-\vrasse 

 by the tip of the mouth he drags it along in the 

 waves by a flaxen cord. A live fish it is best to tow : 

 but if she be dead, then she receives in her mouth 

 the contrivance of a leaden dolphin.** On the other 

 side of the hne another rounded heavy cube of lead 

 is hung at the end of the cord. The dead female 

 trailing in the waves like a hving fish is haled along 

 by the fisherman. A fourth fisher tows near at hand 

 a deep ensnaring weel facing towards the fish. The 

 spotted Parrot-WTasses when they see the trailing 

 female rush all together in eager haste to rescue her 

 and throng all about the decoy, impelled by the goad 

 of frenzied desire. The men with their oars urge on 

 the boat \^ith all their might, while the fishes follow 

 eagerly : and soon it proves their last attempt to 



on I'attache, en lui per^ant rextremite du museau, avec luie 

 ligne portee par un long baton que Ton traine sur I'eau, en 

 procedant d'apres la meme maniere decrite par Oppien " 

 (Apost. p. 45). 



* \ dolphin-shaped piece of lead. This use of the word 

 is best known in connexion with warships : Thuc. vii. 4-1 ai 

 Ktpaiai ... at dirb t'2v oXKaSivv Si\<(>Lvo<p6poi ; Pherecr. 'A7ptot 

 fr. \i 5de Si] SeX^j iffri fioKi'SSovs 8e\(ptvo<f>6p<n re Ktpovxos ; 

 Aristoph. Eq. 763 tovs SeX^Fvar ixenujpi^ov ; Suid. *. 5eX0ij- 

 . . . fftdrjpovv KaraiTKevaTua f) fioKvSSivov «'y 8€\(piva iaxvf^''^'-' 

 fffUvov. Cf. Hesych. *. S(\<f>iv€t ; Poll. i. 85. 



409 



