the statements which ovid has made as to the instincts of fish, in the work[152] of his known as the “treatise on fishes,” appear to me truly marvellous. the scarus, for instance, when enclosed in the wicker kype, makes no effort to escape with its head, nor does it attempt to thrust its muzzle between the oziers; but turning its tail towards them, it enlarges the orifices with repeated blows therefrom, and so makes its escape backwards. should, too, another scarus, from without, chance to see it thus struggling within the kype, it will take the tail of the other in its mouth, and so aid it in its efforts to escape. the lupus, again, when surrounded with the net, furrows the sand with its tail, and so conceals itself, until the net has passed over it. the mur?na, trusting in the slippery smoothness of its rounded back, boldly faces the meshes of the net, and by repeatedly wriggling its body, makes its escape. the polyp makes for the hooks, and without swallowing the bait, clasps it with its feelers; nor does it quit its hold until it has eaten off the bait, or perceives itself being drawn out of the water by the rod.
the mullet, too, is aware that within the bait there is a 175 hook concealed, and is on its guard against the ambush; still, however, so great is its voracity, that it beats the hook with its tail, and strikes away from it the bait. the lupus, again, shows less foresight and address, but repentance at its imprudence arms it with mighty strength; for, when caught by the hook, it flounders from side to side, and so widens the wound, till at last the insidious hook falls from its mouth. the mur?na not only swallows the hook, but catches at the line with its teeth, and so gnaws it asunder. the anthias, ovid says, the moment it finds itself caught by the hook, turns its body with its back downwards, upon which there is a sharp knife-like fin, and so cuts the line asunder.
trebius niger informs us that whenever the loligo is seen darting above the surface of the water, it portends a change of weather: that the xiphias, or, in other words, the sword-fish, has a sharp-pointed muzzle, with which it is able to pierce the sides of a ship and send it to the bottom: instances of which have been known near cotte, a place in mauritania, not far from the river lixus. he says, too, that the loligo sometimes darts above the surface, in such vast numbers, as to sink the ships upon which they fall.
at many of the country-seats belonging to the emperor the fish eat[153] from the hand. in the fountain of jupiter at labranda, there are eels which eat from the hand, and wear earrings.[154]
at myra, too, in lycia, the fish in the fountain of apollo, known as surium, appear and give oracular presages, when thrice summoned by the sound of a flute. if they seize the flesh thrown to them with avidity, it is a good omen for the person who consults them; but if, on the other hand, they 176 flap at it with their tails, it is considered an evil presage. at hierapolis,[155] in syria, the fish in the lake of venus obey the voice of the officers of the temple: bedecked with ornaments of gold, they come at their call, fawn upon them while they are scratched, and open their mouths so wide as to admit of the insertion of the hand.
