Natural Hiftory of the Ancients. 2 1 7 



caufe putrefaction. 1 A moment's reflection mews 

 how fimilar are the beliefs of labourers, and even 

 of many in higher ftations at the prefent day. 



A queftion has often been raifed whether fifhes 

 fleep. Ariftotle has no hefitation in anfwering it 

 in the affirmative. They do not, indeed, clofe 

 their eyes; but their motionlefs ftate, faving the 

 flow movement of the tail, proves it. In this 

 fleep he knew that they could be taken out by the 

 hand or ftruck with a ftick. The tunny-catchers, 

 too, while the tunnies are afleep, are enabled to 

 throw their nets around them. " The dolphin 

 and whale, and fuch as have an air-paflage, fleep 

 on the fea with their air-paflage projecting through 

 which they breathe, gently moving their fins ; ere 

 now fome have heard a dolphin fnoring." 2 To 

 fome fuch fable Milton alludes in his grand lines : 



" that fea-beaft 



Leviathan, which God of all His works 

 Created hugeft that fwim the ocean ftream ; 

 Him, haply, flumb'ring on the Norway foam, 

 The pilot of fome fmall night-founder'd fluff 

 Deeming fome ifland, oft, as feamen tell, 

 With fixed anchor in his fcaly rind, 

 Moors by his fide under the lee, while night 

 Invefls the fea, and wifhed morn delays." 3 



Among the fingular fifh which Ariftotle knows 

 and defcribes may be named the angler, or fiflier- 

 frog (lophius pifcatorius)^ and the eleftric ray 

 (raia torpedo}. The habits of life of thefe are 

 detailed, juft as modern fcience knows them : the 

 firft, with the tempting baits at the end of the long 



1 Ariftot., "De An. Hift.," vi. 14, 15. 



2 Ibid., iv. 10. 3 "Par. Loft," i. 200. 



