§9.12Εἰσὶ δέ τινες οἳ περὶ τὴν θάλατταν βιοῦσιν, οἷον κίγκλος.
There are also some that live near the sea, such as the kinklos.
Ἔστι δὲ τὸ ἦθος ὁ κίγκλος πανοῦργος καὶ δυσθήρατος, ὅταν δὲ ληφθῇ, τιθασσότατος.
The kinklos is by nature knavish and hard to catch, but when captured, he is extremely tame.
Τυγχάνει δ’ ὢν καὶ ἀνάπηρος· ἀκρατὴς γὰρ τῶν ὄπισθέν ἐστιν.
He also happens to be disabled; for he is unable to control his hind parts.
Ζῶσι δὲ περὶ θάλατταν καὶ ποταμοὺς καὶ λίμνας οἱ μὲν στεγανόποδες ἅπαντες· ἡ γὰρ φύσις αὐτὴ ζητεῖ τὸ πρόσφορον·
All web-footed birds live near the sea, rivers, and lakes; for nature itself seeks what is suitable for them.
πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν σχιζοπόδων περὶ τὰ ὕδατα καὶ τὰ ἕλη βιοτεύουσιν, οἷον ἄνθος περὶ τοὺς ποταμούς· ἔχει δὲ τὴν χρόαν καλὴν καὶ ἔστιν εὐβίοτον.
Many of the cleft-footed birds also live near waters and marshes, such as the anthos near rivers; it has a beautiful color and is well-to-do.
Ὁ δὲ καταρράκτης ζῇ μὲν περὶ θάλατταν, ὅταν δὲ καθῇ αὑτὸν εἰς τὸ βαθύ, μένει χρόνον οὐκ ἐλάττονα ἢ ὅσον πλέθρον διέλθοι τις· ἔστι δ’ ἔλαττον ἱέρακος τὸ ὄρνεον.
The katarraktes lives near the sea, and when he lets himself down into the deep, he remains under for a time no less than that in which one would walk a plethron; this bird is smaller than a hawk.
Καὶ οἱ κύκνοι δ’ εἰσὶ μὲν τῶν στεγανοπόδων, καὶ βιοτεύουσι περὶ λίμνας καὶ ἕλη, εὐβίοτοι δὲ καὶ εὐήθεις καὶ εὔτεκνοι καὶ εὔγηροι, καὶ τὸν ἀετόν, ἐὰν ἄρξηται, ἀμυνόμενοι νικῶσιν, αὐτοὶ δ’ οὐκ ἄρχουσι μάχης.
The swans are also among the web-footed birds, and they live near lakes and marshes; they are well-to-do, gentle, careful of their young, and long-lived, and if the eagle begins an attack, they defend themselves and win, though they do not start a fight themselves.
Ὠιδικοὶ δέ, καὶ περὶ τὰς τελευτὰς μάλιστα ᾄδουσιν· ἀναπέτονται γὰρ καὶ εἰς τὸ πέλαγος, καί τινες ἤδη πλέοντες παρὰ τὴν Λιβύην περιέτυχον ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ πολλοῖς ᾄδουσι φωνῇ γοώδει, καὶ τούτων ἑώρων ἀποθνήσκοντας ἐνίους.
They are musical, and sing especially towards the end of their lives; for they fly out even to the open sea, and some people sailing past Libya have already encountered many of them in the sea singing with a mournful voice, and saw some of them dying.
Ἡ δὲ κύμινδις ὀλιγάκις μὲν φαίνεται (οἰκεῖ γὰρ ὄρη), ἔστι δὲ μέλαν καὶ μέγεθος ὅσον ἱέραξ ὁ φασσοφόνος καλούμενος, καὶ τὴν ἰδέαν μακρὸς καὶ λεπτός.
The kymindis is rarely seen (for it dwells in mountains); it is black and of a size as large as the hawk called the pigeon-killer, and in appearance long and slender.
Κύμινδιν δὲ καλοῦσιν Ἴωνες αὐτήν· ἧς καὶ Ὅμηρος μέμνηται ἐν τῇ Ἰλιάδι εἰπὼν
χαλκίδα κικλήσκουσι θεοί, ἄνδρες δὲ κύμινδιν. Ἡ δ’ ὑβρίς, φασὶ δέ τινες εἶναι τὸν αὐτὸν τοῦτον ὄρνιθα τῷ πτυγγί, οὗτος ἡμέρας μὲν οὖν φαίνεται διὰ τὸ μὴ βλέπειν ὀξύ, τὰς δὲ νύκτας θηρεύει ὥσπερ οἱ ἀετοί· καὶ μάχονται δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἀετὸν οὕτω σφόδρα ὥστ’ ἄμφω λαμβάνεσθαι πολλάκις ζῶντας ὑπὸ τῶν νομέων.
The Ionians call it kymindis; Homer also mentions it in the Iliad, saying: 'Which the gods call chalcis, but men call kymindis.' As for the hybris, which some say is the same bird as the ptynx, this bird appears indeed by day because its sight is not sharp, but hunts at night just like eagles; and they fight against the eagle so fiercely that both are often captured alive by shepherds.
Τίκτει μὲν οὖν δύο ᾠά, νεοττεύει δὲ καὶ οὗτος ἐν πέτραις καὶ σπηλαίοις.
It lays two eggs, and this bird also nests in rocks and caves.
Μάχιμοι δὲ καὶ αἱ γέρανοί εἰσι πρὸς ἀλλήλας οὕτω σφόδρα ὥστε καὶ λαμβάνεσθαι μαχομένας· ὑπομένουσι γάρ.
Cranes also fight against one another so fiercely that they are even captured while fighting; for they stand their ground.
Τίκτει δὲ γέρανος δύο ᾠά.
The crane lays two eggs.
§9.13Ἡ δὲ κίττα φωνὰς μὲν μεταβάλλει πλείστας (καθ’ ἑκάστην γὰρ ὡς εἰπεῖν ἡμέραν ἄλλην ἀφίησι), τίκτει δὲ περὶ ἐννέα ᾠά, ποιεῖται δὲ τὴν νεοττιὰν ἐπὶ τῶν δένδρων ἐκ τριχῶν καὶ ἐρίων· ὅταν δ’ ὑπολίπωσιν αἱ βάλανοι, ἀποκρύπτουσα ταμιεύεται.
The kitta changes her voice very many times (for she utters a different one almost every day); she lays about nine eggs, and makes her nest in trees out of hair and wool; and when acorns are left, she hides and stores them.
Περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν πελαργῶν, ὅτι ἀντεκτρέφονται, θρυλεῖται παρὰ πολλοῖς· φασὶ δέ τινες καὶ τοὺς μέροπας ταὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, καὶ ἀντεκτρέφεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκγόνων οὐ μόνον γηράσκοντας ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐθύς, ὅταν οἷοί τ’ ὦσιν· τὸν δὲ πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα μένειν ἔνδον.
Now, regarding storks, it is common talk among many that they are fed in turn by their young; and some say that the meropes also do this very same thing, being fed in turn by their offspring not only when they grow old but immediately, as soon as the young are able; and the father and mother remain inside.
Ἡ δ’ ἰδέα τοῦ ὄρνιθος τῶν πτερῶν ἐστὶ τὰ μὲν ὑποκάτω ὠχρόν, τὰ δὲ ἐπάνω ὥσπερ τῆς ἁλκυόνος κυάνεον, τὰ δ’ ἐπ’ ἄκρων τῶν πτερυγίων ἐρυθρά.
The appearance of this bird's feathers is pale-yellow underneath, and dark-blue like the halcyon's above, and red at the tips of the wings.
Τίκτει δὲ περὶ ἓξ ἢ ἑπτὰ ὑπὸ τὴν ὀπώραν, ἐν τοῖς κρημνοῖς τοῖς μαλακοῖς· εἰσδύεται δ’ εἴσω καὶ τέτταρας πήχεις.
It lays about six or seven eggs in late summer, in soft cliffs; and it penetrates inside even to four cubits.
Ἡ δὲ καλουμένη χλωρὶς διὰ τὸ τὰ κάτω ἔχειν ὠχρά, ἔστι μὲν ἡλίκον κόρυδος, τίκτει δ’ ᾠὰ τέτταρα ἢ πέντε, τὴν δὲ νεοττιὰν ποιεῖται μὲν ἐκ τοῦ συμφύτου ἕλκουσα πρόσριζον, στρώματα δ’ ὑποβάλλει τρίχας καὶ ἔρια.
The bird called chloris because its lower parts are pale-yellow is of the size of a lark; it lays four or five eggs, and makes its nest by pulling up symphyton by the roots, laying hair and wool underneath as bedding.
Ταὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο ποιεῖ καὶ ὁ κόττυφος καὶ ἡ κίττα, καὶ τὰ ἐντὸς τῆς νεοττιᾶς ἐκ τούτων ποιοῦνται.
The blackbird and the kitta also do this very same thing, and make the inside of their nest out of these materials.
Τεχνικῶς δὲ καὶ ἡ τῆς ἀκανθυλλίδος ἔχει νεοττιά· πέπλεκται γὰρ ὥσπερ σφαῖρα λινῆ, ἔχουσα τὴν εἴσδυσιν μικράν.
The nest of the akanthyllis is also ingeniously made; for it is woven like a flaxen sphere, having a small entrance.
Φασὶ δὲ καὶ τὸ κιννάμωμον ὄρνεον εἶναι οἱ ἐκ τῶν τόπων ἐκείνων, καὶ τὸ καλούμενον κιννάμωμον φέρειν ποθὲν τοῦτο τὸ ὄρνεον, καὶ τὴν νεοττιὰν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ποιεῖσθαι.
The people of those places also say that there is a cinnamon bird, and that this bird brings from somewhere what is called cinnamon, and makes its nest out of it.
Νεοττεύει δ’ ἐφ’ ὑψηλῶν δένδρων καὶ ἐν τοῖς θαλλοῖς τῶν δένδρων· ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐγχωρίους μόλυβδον πρὸς τοῖς ὀϊστοῖς προσαρτῶντας τοξεύοντας καταβάλλειν, καὶ οὕτω συνάγειν ἐκ τοῦ φορυτοῦ τὸ κιννάμωμον.
It nests in high trees and among the shoots of trees; but the locals, attaching lead to their arrows, shoot and bring it down, and thus gather the cinnamon from the debris of the nest.