![]() This, my fellow-men, is what these creatures do: their love is not taught, it is inborn. If however his head was projecting, one of those outside offered his tail, which the captive grasped and followed. And it has even happened, they say, that, when a Parrot Wrasse has fallen into the weel and has left his tail-part projecting, the others that are swimming around uncaught have fixed their teeth in him and have dragged their comrade out. Many a time however they have not contrived to do this, but have failed in spite of having done all they could with the utmost zeal. And many a time have they cut the line and set him free, and they ask for no reward for life-saving. At any rate they rush forward and make haste to bite through the line in order to rescue the one that has been caught. Parrot Wrasses too are doughty champions of their own kin. For instance, directly they are aware that a mate has been hooked, they swim up with all possible speed then they set their back against him and by falling upon him and pushing with all their might try to stop him from being hauled in. ![]() § 1.4 As loyal men and true fellow-soldiers come to one another's aid, so do the fish which men skilled in sea-fishing call Anthias and their haunts are the sea. And as the male Wrasses swim in with her, they are captured and pay the penalty for their erotic impulse. As soon as they come level with the weel, the angler lets the lead weight drop into it, and as it falls in it drags the female down with it by the line. So then the man who is towing the female gently and slowly and planning to entrap (his fish), draws the lovers (as you might call them) with the loved one straight towards the weel. Whereupon the male Wrasses, like young men who have caught sight of a pretty girl, go in pursuit, mad with desire, each trying to outstrip the other and to reach her side and rub against her, just as love-sick men strive to kiss or tickle (a girl) or to play some other amorous trick. One of the men in the boat attaches to the side a weel with a wide mouth the weel is then turned towards the captured Wrasse and slightly weighted with a stone of appropriate size. ![]() They prepare a heavy lead sinker round in shape and three fingers in length a cord is passed through both ends, and it trails the captured fish after it. Whenever they capture a female, they fasten a fine line of esparto to its lip and trail the fish alive through the sea, knowing as they do where the fish lie, their haunts, and where they assemble. Now skilful anglers are aware of this, and they set upon it in this way. § 1.2 The Parrot Wrasse feeds upon seaweed and wrack, and is of all fishes the most lustful, and its insatiable desire for the female is the reason why it gets caught. Although I was born later than many accomplished writers of an earlier day, the accident of date ought not to mulct me of praise, if I too produce a learned work whose ampler research and whose choice of language make it deserving of serious attention. For not all things give pleasure to all men, nor do all men consider all subjects worthy of study. So if anyone considers them profitable, let him make use of them anyone who does not consider them so may give them to his father to keep and attend to. Now I am well aware of the labour that others have expended on this subject, yet I have collected all the materials that I could I have clothed them in untechnical language, and am persuaded that my achievement is a treasure far from negligible. And to know accurately the special characteristics of each, and how living creatures also have been a source of interest no less than man, demands a trained intelligence and much learning. But that dumb animals should by nature possess some good quality and should have many of man's amazing excellences assigned to them along with man, is indeed a remarkable fact. Moreover, he knows how to reverence and worship the gods. For man has been endowed with speech, of all things the most precious, and has been granted reason, which is of the greatest help and use. There is perhaps nothing extraordinary in the fact that man is wise and just, takes great care to provide for his own children, shows due consideration for his parents, seeks sustenance for himself, protects himself against plots, and possesses all the other gifts of nature which are his.
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