plint's natural htstort. 
[Book IX, 
which has been the betrayer of the others, and not to take it, 
otherwise the shoal will take to flight, and appear no more for 
the future.*^ There is a story that a fisherman, having quar- 
relled once with his mate, threw out a hook to one of these 
leading fishes, which he easily recognized, and so captured it 
with a malicious intent. The fish, however, was recognized 
in the market by the other fisherman, against whom he had 
conceived this malice ; who accordingly brought an action 
against him for damages ; and, as Mucianus adds, he was 
condemned to pay them on the hearing of the case. These 
anthiae, it is said, when they see one of their number taken 
with a hook, cut the line with the serrated spines which they 
have on the back, the one that is held fast stretching it out 
as much as it can, to enable them to cut it. Eut among the 
sargi, the fish itself, that is held fast, rubs the line asunder 
against the rocks. 
CHAP. 86. (60.) SEA-STAES. 
In addition to what I have already stated, I find that authors, 
distinguished for their wisdom, express surprise at finding a 
star in the sea — for such, in fact, is the form of the animal, 
which has but very little flesh^^ within, and nothing but a 
hard skin without. It is said that in this fish there is such 
a fiery heat, that it scorches everything it meets with in 
the sea, and instantaneously digests its food. By what expe- 
riments^^ all this came to be known, I cannot so easily say ; 
but I am about to make mention of one fact which is more re- 
markable still, and which we have the opportunity of testing 
by every day^s experience. 
*s Oppian, Halieut. B. hi. c. 305, et seq.^ tells a similar story as to the 
mode of taking the anthias, with some slight variation, however. 
^9 <' Damni formulam editam." 
50 Cuvier says, that the star-fish, the Asterias of Linnaeus, is covered 
with a callous shell without, and has within only the viscera and the ovaria, 
apparently without any muscles. Aristotle reckons it among the fishes 
which he calls ouTpaKodspfxaTay or hard-shelled fish ; while, on the other 
hand, -^lian, Hist. Anim. B. xi. c. 22, reckons it among the fxaXaKoarpaKa^ 
or soft-shelled fish. 
5^ Cuvier says, that Pliny has good reason to say that he does not know 
upon what authority this power has been attributed to the star-fish ; as it 
is altogether fabulous. 
