HALIEUTICA, V. 601-623 



are made with close-set rushes, and the fishers gather 

 and place in them Spiral-shells and Clams together. 

 Now when the Purple-fishes draw near, drunk ^^'ith 

 the lust of food, they put forth from within their 

 chamber their long tongue," which is thin and sharp, 

 and stretch it through the rushes, in quest of food 

 and fatal feast they find. For the tongue, fixed in 

 the close-set rushes, swells and is straitened bv the 

 mesh of withes and cannot any more draw back if it 

 try but remains stretched in pain, until the fishers 

 land the shell-fish while intent upon their tongue, 

 bringing a colour most beautiful for purple cloths. 



Than the task of the Sponge-cutters * I declare 

 that there is none worse nor any work more woeful 

 for men. These, when they prepare themselves for 

 their labour, use more meagre food and drink and 

 indulge themselves with sleep <^ unfitting fishermen. 

 As when a man prepares himself for the tuneful 

 contest — one who hath Phoebus' boast of lyric song — 

 and he studies all care and every way takes heed, 

 nursing for the games the melody of his clear voice : 

 so do they zealously take all watchful care that their 

 breath may abide unscathed when they go down 

 into the depths and that they may recover from 



somewhat in gimlet fashion." Cf. A. oi7 b 4 vefioi-rai 5e 

 f^eipovTa ttjv Ka\ovfi.(vr]v y\u;TTay viro to KCiKififia (operculum). 

 TO 8i fj.(-/€0oi rijj ^XwTTTjs fx^' V ifop<t>vpa fiul^ov 5aKTv\ov, i^ 

 viaeTai Kal SiaTpinrq to. KorfX^^tf*- f"' tA airrijs carpaKov ; P. A.. 

 661 a 21 To/s yap ■jrop<f>i'pais To<Tavn)v ^x" Svvafj.iv toCto to 

 fiopiov u)ffT( Kal Twv Koyxv^^t^v SiaTpi'xQffi to 6ffTpaKov, olov tu)v 

 ffTp6fjSuv oli SeXediovaiv at-rds ; Athen. 89 c; Plin. ix. 1-28 

 Lingua pm-purae longitudine digital!, qua pascitur perfor- 

 ando reliqua conchylia. 



* For the Sponge-cutter (trTrayyeis, ffTroyyodripai, aroyyo- 

 Tofios, etc.) in general cf. H. ii. 435 S. ; Plin. ix. 151 ff. 



« Cf. U. iii. 4.5. 



509 



