472 Flint's natubal histobt. [Book IX; 



reason it is that eels also can live so long out of water ; *'' and 

 that their eggs come to maturity on dry land, like those of the 

 sea- tortoise". In the same regions also of the Euxine, he 

 says, various kinds of fishes are overtaken hy the ice, the gohio 

 more particularly, and they only hetray signs of life, hy 

 moving when they have warmth applied hy the saucepan. 

 All these things, however, though very remarkable, still admit 

 of some explanation. He tells us also, that in Paphlagonia, 

 land fishes are dug up that are most excellent eating ; these, he 

 says, are found in deep holes or spots where there is no standing 

 water whatever, and he expresses his surprise at their being 

 thus produced without any contact with moisture, stating it as 

 his opinion, that there is some innate virtue in these holes," 

 similar to that of wells ; as if, indeed, fishes really were to be 

 found in weUs." However this may be, these facts, at all 

 events,, render the life of the mole under ground less a matter 

 for surprise ; unless, perhaps, these fishes mentioned by Theo- 

 phrastus are similar in nature to the earth-worm. 



CHAP. 84. (58.) THE MICE OP THE KIXB. 



But all these things, singular as they are, are rendered 

 credible by a marvel which exceeds them all, at the time of the 

 inundation of the Nile ; for, the moment that it subsides, little 

 mice" are found, the first rudiments of which have been 



*' ' Cuvier remarts, that many fish, the orifice of the gills of which, like 

 those of the eel, is small, or which have in the interior of those parta 

 organs proper for the preservation there of water, are able, like the eel, to 

 live for some time on dry land ; such, for instance, as the periophthalmi 

 previously mentioned, the ohironectes, the ophioephali, the anahas, and 

 others ; but it is difficult to say, he observes, of what species were those of 

 the Lycus, which are here mentioned. 



*3 Or turtle. See c. 12 of the present Book. 



** It is most probable that Sillig is right in his supposition, that 

 " quam" should be read " sequam ;" otherwise it does not appear that any 

 sense can be made of the passage. Schneider, in his commentaries upon 

 Theophrastus, Sillig says, quite despaired of either amending or explainmg 

 this passage ; which, however, with SUlig's emendation is very easily to be 

 understood. 



" In accordance with the opinion of Vossias and Sillig, we read here 

 " in illis," instead of the common, and most probably incorrect, reading, 

 " in nullis." 



" Pomponins Mela, B. i. a. 9., and Ovid, Met. B. i. 1. 422, et seq., toll 

 the same story, which, however, has no truth in it whatever. 



