188 AELIAN—FIRST ARTIFICIAL FLY 
which hovers on the river. It is not like flies found else- 
where, nor does it resemble a wasp in appearance, nor in 
shape would one justly describe it as a midge or a bee, yet 
it has something of each of these. In boldness it is likea 
fly, in size you might call it a midge, it imitates the colour of 
a wasp, and it hums like a bee. The natives generally call it 
the Hippouros. 
“These flies seek their food over the river, but do not escape 
the observation of the fish swimming below. When then the 
fish observes a fly on the surface, it swims quietly up, afraid 
to stir the water above, lest it should scare away its prey ; 
then coming up by its shadow, it opens its mouth gently and 
gulps down the fly, like a wolf carrying off a sheep from the 
fold or an eagle a goose from the farmyard ; having done this 
it goes below the rippling water. 
“Now though the fishermen know of this, they do not use 
these flies at all for bait for fish; for if a man’s hand touch 
them, they lose their natural colour, their wings wither, and 
they become unfit food for the fish. For this reason they have 
nothing to do with them, hating them for their bad character ; 
but they have planned a snare for the fish, and get the better 
of them by their fisherman’s craft. 
“They fasten red (crimson red) wool round a hook, and fix 
on to the wool two feathers which grow under a cock’s wattles, 
and which in colour are like wax. Their rod is six feet long, 
and their line is the same length. Then they throw their 
snare, and the fish, attracted and maddened by the colour, 
comes straight at it, thinking from the pretty sight to get a 
dainty mouthful; when, however, it opens its jaws, it is 
caught by the hook and enjoys a bitter repast, a captive.” 
The lines which describe the making up of the fly—ro 
ayktotpy mepiBadrovatw Epiov pomvikody, fppooral te 7H éply dbo 
mrepa adextpudvoc b70 Toic KaAAaiorg TEpUKOTA Kal Knpy THY Xpdav 
mpooekaopéva 1—are translated in Westwood and Satchell’s Bibi. 
Pisc., and by Mr. Lambert quite differentty. 
1 Jacobs adopts xnp@, instead of Gesner’s xpveg, chiefly because it is 
written thus quite clearly in the Codex Augustanus. It also seems to fit the 
context better. 
