HALIEUTICA, IV. 380-408 



cover it all about the mouth -with foHage of plants, 

 shadowing it cunningly ^vith green branches of 

 myrtl&or fragrant bay or some other tree. Now the 

 goad of desire rouses the males to the moil of battle 

 and the war for brides waxes keen. But when one 

 by his prowess wins the \-ictory, straightway he looks 

 for a hollow rock as a dwelling for his wives, and he 

 espies the weel lying, roofed with leafy boughs and 

 therein he drives his choir of brides. They then 

 enter within the weel, while he outside keeps away 

 all the males nor suffers any other to approach his 

 brides. But when he has filled the plaited snare, last, 

 he himself advances into the bridal chamber, a bed 

 of Hades without escape. As when some shepherd 

 drives from the pasture his fleecy flocks and leads 

 them home, and standing in the entrance of the 

 steading reckons in his mind the number of his sheep, 

 revie^ving them well to see if all are safe, and the 

 courtyard, full to overflowing, is straitened vrith the 

 huddling sheep, and last the shepherd himself enters 

 among them ; even so the female Sargues enter 

 first within the hollow retreat, and after them their 

 spouse leaps in himself, hasting unhappy bridegroom 

 with unhappy brides. Such contests does love array 

 among the finny tribe and by such snares of amorous 

 madness they perish. 



The Hippurus," when they behold anything floating 

 in the waves, all follow it, closely in a body, but 

 especially when a ship is wTCcked by the stormy 

 winds, finding Poseidon terribly unkind, and the 

 great waves break her up and carry hither and 



xxxii. 149; Ov. Hal. 95. Called also Kop^'ipaiva Athen. 

 304 c-d, dpvfiTT^v lirirovpov Numenius, ibid. Cf. 319 d. These 

 fishes are popularly, but erroneously, called *' Dolphins." 



2 F 4.S3 



