Page:The Deipnosophists (Volume 2).djvu/53



62. Then come the elacatenes, or spindle fish. Mnesimachus, in his Horsebreeder, classes together in one line—

The turbot, tunny, tench, elacatene.

But they are a cetaceous fish, very good for curing. Menander, in his Colons, says—

The tench, th' elacatene, and the tail-fin of The sea-dog are the best for pickling.

And Mnaseas of Patra says, "Of Ichthys and Hesychia, his sister, were born the galene, the lamprey, and the elacatene.

63. The tunny must also not be forgotten. Aristotle says this fish swims into the Black Sea, always keeping the land on the right; but that he sails out again, keeping the land on the left. For that he can see much best with his right eye, but that he is rather blind with his left eye. And under his fins he has a sort of gadfly; he delights in heat, on which account he comes wherever there is sand; and he is most eatable at the season when he gets rid of that fly. But he propagates his species after his time of torpor is over, as we are told by Theophrastus; and as long as his offspring are little, he is very difficult to catch, but when they get larger, then he is easily caught, because of the gadfly. But the tunny lies in holes, although he is a fish with a great deal of blood. And Archestratus says—

Around the sacred and the spacious isle Of Samos you may see large tunnies caught. The Samians call them horeyes, and others Do name them cetus. These 'tis well to buy, Fit offering for the Gods; and do it quickly, Nor stop to haggle or bargain for the price. Good too are those which fair Byzantium, Or the Carystian marble rocks do breed. And in the famous isle of Sicily, The Cephalœdian and Tyndarian shores Send forth fish richer still. And if you come To sacred Italy, where Hipponium's cape Frowns on the waves which lave the Bruttian coast, Those are the best of all. The tunnies there Have gain'd the height of fame and palm of victory. Still those which there you find have wander'd far, Cross'd many seas, and many a roaring strait, So that we often catch them out of season.

64. But this fish was called the tunny ([Greek: thynnos]) from rushing ([Greek: apo tou thyein]), and moving rapidly. For it is an impetuous fish, from, at a particular season, having a gadfly in its