BOOK VIII. XVII. 10-13 



this way the violence of the sea is broken by the 

 ban-iers of a bank, and the fish, keeping in calm water, 

 are not driven out of their usual haunts nor is the 

 pond itself filled with a collection of sea-weed which 

 the force of the sea throws up in stormy weather. ' It 11 

 will, however, be necessary that cuts should be made 

 in the moles at some points, forming small but narrow 

 passages with meandering course, so that, however 

 fierce a winter storm is raving, they may let the 

 sea-water pass in without creating a wave. 



The diet of flat fish ought to be softer than that of Diet for fish 

 rock-fish, for, lacking teeth, they either lick up their 

 food or swallow it whole, being unable to chew it. 

 It is, therefore, fitting that decaying pilchards or 12 

 over-salted herrings or rotten sardines, also the gills of 

 parrot WTasse and any part of the intestines of a 

 young tunny or lizard-fish, also the entrails of a mack- 

 erel, a dog-fish or a spindle-fish," and, not to go into 

 further details, the refuse of any salted fish which is 

 swept out of fishmongers' shops. We have named 

 several kinds, not because they are all produced on 

 every coast, but in order to mention some of those 

 which it will be possible to provide. Of fruits too the 13 

 green fig cut open is suitable and a ripe arbutus-berry 

 crushed by the fingers, likewise a soft sorb-apple 

 squeezed out and any foods which most closely 

 resemble things which can be easily swallowed, such 

 as curds fresh from the milk-pail, if local conditions 

 and the cheap price of milk make this possible. No 

 food, however, is so suitable for giving them as the 

 diet of salt fish already mentioned, since it has a 



" The readings of the MSS. give no sense here, but the na me 

 of a fish is clearly intended and elacatae is suggested by the 

 reading of a. Warmington suggests elacatenis {■qXaKaTijvos). 



