Kitap 7
107
Now the different species of polypus are these: the eledone, the polypodine, the bolbotine, the osmylus; as both Aristotle and Speusippus teach us. But, in his book on Animals and their Properties, Aristotle says that the polypus, the osmylus, the eledone, the cuttle-fish, and the squid, are all molluscous. Epicharmus, in his Hebe's Wedding, says— A polypus, a cuttle-fish, and quickly-moving squid, A foul-smelling bolbitine, and chattering old woman. And Archestratus says— The Carian and the Thasian polypi Are far the best; Corcyra too can breed Fish of large size and very numerous. But the Dorians spell the word with an ω, πωλύπους; as, for instance, Epicharmus. Simonides too has the expression, πώλυπον διζήμενος. But the Attics spell the word πολύπους, with an o: and it is a cartilaginous fish; for χονδρώδης and σελαχώδης have the same meaning;— The polypodes and the dog-shark. Moreover, all the fish belonging to the species of the cuttlefish are called molluscous. But the whole tribe of . . . is cartilaginous.
108
There is also a fish called the pagurus; and it is mentioned by Timocles or Xenarchus, in his Purple, thus— But I, as being a skilful fisherman, Have carefully devised all sorts of arts To catch those vile paguri, enemies To all the gods and all the little fishes. And shall I not without delay beguile An old buglossus? That would be well done.
109
There is also the pelamys. Phrynichus mentions it in his Muses; and Aristotle, in the fifth book of his treatise on the Parts of Animals, says the pelamydes and the tunnies breed in the Black Sea, but not anywhere else. Sophocles also mentions them, in his Shepherds:— There, too, the foreign pelamys does winter, The stranger from the Hellespont. For she Doth come with many of her kind in summer To these cool waters of the Bosphorus.
