§5.11Τίκτουσι δ’ οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν ἰχθύων ἐν μησὶ τρισί, Μουνυχιῶνι, Θαργηλιῶνι, Σκιρροφοριῶνι· μετοπώρου δ’ ὀλίγοι, οἷον σάλπη καὶ σάργος καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τοιαῦτα μικρὸν πρὸ ἰσημερίας τῆς φθινοπωρινῆς, καὶ νάρκη καὶ ῥίνη.
Most fishes spawn in three months, Munychion, Thargelion, and Scirrophorion; but few in autumn, such as the salpa, the sargus, and others of this kind, a little before the autumnal equinox, as well as the torpedo and the angel-fish.
Τίκτει δ’ ἔνια καὶ χειμῶνος καὶ θέρους, ὥσπερ ἐλέχθη πρότερον, οἷον χειμῶνος μὲν λάβραξ κεστρεὺς βελόνη, θέρους δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἑκατομβαιῶνα θυννίς, περὶ τροπάς θερινάς· τίκτει δὲ θυλακοειδές, ἐν ᾧ πολλὰ ἐγγίνεται καὶ μικρὰ ᾠά.
Some also spawn in winter and summer, as was said before, such as in winter the bass, the mullet, and the needle-fish, and in summer, around the month of Hecatombaeon, about the summer solstice, the female tunny; she spawns a sack-like object, in which many small eggs are produced.
Καὶ οἱ ῥυάδες τοῦ θέρους τίκτουσιν.
The shoaling fishes also spawn in summer.
Ἄρχονται δὲ κύειν τῶν κεστρέων οἱ μὲν χελῶνες τοῦ Ποσειδεῶνος καὶ ὁ σάργος καὶ ὁ σμύξων καλούμενος καὶ ὁ κέφαλος· κύουσι δὲ τριάκοντα ἡμέρας.
Among the mullets, those called chelones begin to be pregnant in the month of Poseideon, as well as the sargus, the one called smyxon, and the cephalus; they are pregnant for thirty days.
Ἔνιοι δὲ τῶν κεστρέων οὐ γίνονται ἐκ συνδυασμοῦ, ἀλλὰ φύονται ἐκ τῆς ἰλύος καὶ τῆς ἄμμου.
Some of the mullets are not produced from copulation, but grow out of the mud and sand.
Ὡς μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ τοῦ ἔαρος τὰ πλεῖστα κυΐσκεται, οὐ μὴν ἀλλά, καθάπερ εἴρηται, καὶ θέρους ἔνια καὶ φθινοπώρου καὶ χειμῶνος· ἀλλ’ οὔτε ἅπασιν ὁμοίως τοῦτο συμβαίνει οὔθ’ ἁπλῶς οὔτε καθ’ ἕκαστον γένος, ὥσπερ τοῖς πλείστοις τοῦ ἔαρος· οὐδὲ δὴ κύουσι πολλὰ κυήματα ὁμοίως ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις χρόνοις.
Thus, although for the most part most fishes are pregnant in spring, nevertheless, as has been said, some are so in summer, autumn, and winter; but this does not happen to all alike, either absolutely or in each kind, as it does to most in spring; nor indeed do they carry many embryos alike in the other seasons.
Ὅλως δὲ δεῖ μὴ λεληθέναι ὅτι, ὥσπερ καὶ τῶν φυομένων καὶ τῶν ζῴων τῶν τετραπόδων πολλὴν αἱ χῶραι ποιοῦσι διαφορὰν οὐ μόνον πρὸς τὴν ἄλλην τοῦ σώματος εὐημερίαν ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὸ πλεονάκις ὀχεύεσθαι καὶ γεννᾶν, οὕτω καὶ περὶ τοὺς ἰχθῦς πολλῆν ποιοῦσι τὴν διαφορὰν αὐτοὶ οἱ τόποι οὐ μόνον κατὰ μέγεθος καὶ εὐτροφίαν ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τοὺς τόκους καὶ τὰς ὀχείας, τοῦ ἔνθα μὲν πλεονάκις ἔνθα δ’ ἐλαττονάκις γεννᾶν τὰ αὐτά.
In general, it must not be forgotten that, just as in the case of plants and four-legged animals the localities make a great difference not only for the general well-being of the body but also for copulating and generating more frequently, so also in the case of fishes the places themselves make a great difference not only in size and nutrition but also in spawnings and copulations, namely in producing the same kinds more frequently in some places and less frequently in others.
§5.12Τίκτει δὲ καὶ τὰ μαλάκια τοῦ ἔαρος, καὶ ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις τίκτει τῶν θαλαττίων ἡ σηπία.
The molluscs also spawn in spring, and among the sea creatures the sepia spawns among the first.
Τίκτει δὲ πᾶσαν ὥραν, ἀποτίκτει δ’ ἐν ἡμέραις πέντε καὶ δέκα.
It spawns at all seasons, but finishes spawning in fifteen days.
Ὅταν δὲ τέκῃ τὰ ᾠά, ὁ ἄρρην παρακολουθῶν καταφυσᾷ τὸν θολόν, καὶ γίνεται στιφρά.
When it has laid the eggs, the male following behind blows the ink upon them, and they become firm.
Βαδίζουσι δὲ κατὰ ζυγά· ἔστι δὲ ὁ ἄρρην τῆς θηλείας ποικιλώτερος καὶ μελάντερος τὸν νῶτον.
They swim in pairs; and the male is more variegated than the female and blacker on the back.
Ὁ δὲ πολύπους ὀχεύεται τοῦ χειμῶνος, τίκτει δὲ τοῦ ἔαρος, ὅτε καὶ φωλεύει περὶ δύο μῆνας.
The octopus copulates in winter and spawns in spring, at which time it also hides in its hole for about two months.
Τίκτει δὲ τὸ ᾠὸν καθάπερ βοστρύχιον, ὅμοιον τῷ τῆς λεύκης καρπῷ.
It spawns its egg like a tendril, similar to the fruit of the white poplar.
Ἔστι δὲ πολύγονον τὸ ζῷον· ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ ἀποτικτομένου ἄπειρον γίνεται τὸ πλῆθος.
This animal is very prolific; for an infinite number comes from what is spawned.
Διαφέρει δ’ ὁ ἄρρην τῆς θηλείας τῷ τε τὴν κεφαλὴν ἔχειν προμηκεστέραν καὶ τὸ καλούμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ἁλιέων αἰδοῖον ἐν τῇ πλεκτάνῃ λευκόν.
The male differs from the female in having the head more elongated and in having what is called the penis by fishermen white in its tentacle.
Ἐπῳάζει δέ, ὅταν τέκῃ· διὸ καὶ χείριστοι γίνονται· οὐ γὰρ νέμονται κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον.
It broods on the eggs when it has spawned; which is why they become in the worst condition; for they do not feed during this time.
Γίνονται δὲ καὶ αἱ πορφύραι περὶ τὸ ἔαρ, καὶ οἱ κήρυκες λήγοντος τοῦ χειμῶνος.
The purple-fish also are produced around spring, and the whelks at the end of winter.
Καὶ ὅλως τὰ ὀστρακόδερμα ἔν τε τῷ ἔαρι φαίνεται τὰ καλούμενα ᾠὰ ἔχοντα καὶ ἐν τῷ μετοπώρῳ, πλὴν τῶν ἐχίνων τῶν ἐδωδίμων· οὗτοι δὲ μάλιστα μὲν ἐν ταύταις ταῖς ὥραις, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀεὶ ἔχουσι, καὶ μάλιστα ταῖς πανσελήνοις καὶ ταῖς ἀλεειναῖς ἡμέραις, πλὴν τῶν ἐν τῷ εὐρίπῳ τῶν Πυρραίων· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἀμείνους τοῦ χειμῶνος.
In general, the testaceans appear to have what are called eggs both in spring and in autumn, except the edible sea-urchins; these have them especially in these seasons, but nevertheless they have them always, and especially at full moons and on warm days, except those in the Euripus of the Pyrrhaeans; those are better in winter.
Εἰσὶ δὲ μικροὶ μέν, πλήρεις δὲ τῶν ᾠῶν.
They are small, but full of eggs.
Κύοντες δὲ φαίνονται καὶ οἱ κοχλίαι πάντες ὁμοίως τὴν αὐτὴν ὥραν.
All snails alike also appear to be pregnant at the same season.
§5.13Τῶν δ’ ὀρνέων τὰ μὲν ἄγρια, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, ἅπαξ ὀχεύεται καὶ τίκτει τὰ πλεῖστα, χελιδὼν δὲ δὶς τίκτει καὶ κόττυφος.
Among birds, the wild ones, as has been said, for the most part copulate and lay once, but the swallow and the blackbird lay twice.
Τὰ μὲν οὖν πρῶτα τοῦ κοττύφου ὑπὸ χειμῶνος ἀπόλλυται (πρωϊαίτατα γὰρ τίκτει τῶν ὀρνέων ἁπάντων), τὸν δ’ ὕστερον τόκον εἰς τέλος ἐκτρέφει.
The first eggs of the blackbird are destroyed by the winter (for it lays the earliest of all birds), but it rears the later brood to the end.
Ὅσα δὲ ἥμερα ἢ ἡμεροῦσθαι δύναται, ταῦτα δὲ πλεονάκις, οἷον αἱ περιστεραὶ καθ’ ἅπαν τὸ θέρος, καὶ τὸ τῶν ἀλεκτορίδων γένος· ὀχεύουσι γὰρ οἱ ἄρρενες καὶ ὀχεύονται αἱ θήλειαι τῶν ἀλεκτορίδων καὶ τίκτουσιν ἀεί, πλὴν τῶν ἐν χειμῶνι τροπικῶν ἡμερῶν.
But those that are domestic or can be domesticated do so more frequently, such as pigeons throughout the whole summer, and the genus of fowls; for the males copulate and the females lay always, except for the days of the winter solstice.
Τῶν δὲ περιστεροειδῶν πλείω τυγχάνει ὄντα γένη· ἔστι γὰρ ἕτερον περιστερὰ καὶ πελειάς.
Among the pigeon-like birds there happen to be several kinds; for the domestic pigeon and the rock-dove are different.
Ἐλάττων μὲν οὖν ἡ πελειάς, τιθασσὸν δὲ γίνεται μᾶλλον ἡ περιστερά· ἡ δὲ πελειὰς καὶ μέλαν καὶ μικρὸν καὶ ἐρυθρόπουν καὶ τραχύπουν, διὸ καὶ οὐθεὶς τρέφει.
The rock-dove is smaller, while the domestic pigeon becomes more tame; the rock-dove is black, small, red-footed, and rough-footed, which is why nobody breeds it.
Μέγιστον μὲν οὖν τῶν τοιούτων ἡ φάττα ἐστί, δεύτερον δὲ ἡ οἰνάς· αὕτη δὲ μικρῷ μείζων ἐστὶ τῆς περιστερᾶς· ἐλάχιστον δὲ τῶν τοιούτων ἡ τρυγών.
The largest of such birds is the ring-dove, and the second is the stock-dove; this is slightly larger than the domestic pigeon; and the smallest of such is the turtle-dove.
Τίκτουσι δ’ αἱ περιστεραὶ πᾶσαν ὥραν καὶ ἐκτρέφουσιν, ἐὰν τόπον ἔχωσιν ἀλεεινὸν καὶ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια· εἰ δὲ μή, τοῦ θέρους μόνον.
Pigeons lay and rear at all seasons, if they have a warm place and proper food; but if not, only in summer.
Τὰ δ’ ἔκγονα τοῦ ἔαρος βέλτιστα καὶ τοῦ φθινοπώρου· τὰ δὲ τοῦ θέρους καὶ ἐν ταῖς θερμημερίαις χείριστα.
The offspring of spring and autumn are the best; but those of summer and during the hot days are the worst.