HALIEUTICA, IV. 409-439 



thither her scattered timbers, loosened by the rending 

 assaults of the sea. Then the shoals of the Hippurus 

 follow in the train of the drifting planks, and the 

 fisherman who chances upon them ^^'ins easily great 

 and unstinted spoil. But that may the Son of Cronus, 

 the lord of the deep, avert from our sailors, and may 

 their ships speed over the broad waves with gentle 

 breezes, unhurt and unshaken, while they ply to and 

 fro for cargo ! And for the Hippurus men may 

 contrive other devices and without the WTCck of ships 

 pursue their prey. 



The fishermen gather reeds and tie them together 

 in bundles which they let down into the waves and 

 underneath they tie a heavy stone by way of ballast. 

 All this they let sway gently in the water ; and 

 straightway the shade-loving tribes of the Hippurus 

 gather in shoals and linger about dehghtedly rubbing 

 their backs against the reeds. Then the fishers row 

 to them to find a ready prey, and bait their hooks 

 and cast them, and the fish seize them, hastening 

 therewith their own destruction. Even as a hunter 

 excites with meat his dogs to the warfare of the 

 chase, waving among them a piece of game, and the 

 dogs in a frenzy of appetite with ravenous rage run 

 emulous one before the other and look to the man's 

 hand to see where he will throw it, and strife of 

 teeth arises : so the fishes rush readily upon the 

 hooks. And easily, if active, thou shalt catch and 

 land them one after the other ; for they are more 

 eager than the fishermen themselves and by their 

 own folly hasten their doom. 



By like craft are the Pilot-fishes « also taken ; for 

 their heart equally is set upon desire for shade. 



Against the Calamaries * a man should devise a 



43.5 



