§9.2Τῶν δ’ ἰχθύων οἱ μὲν συναγελάζονται μετ’ ἀλλήλων καὶ φίλοι εἰσίν, οἱ δὲ μὴ συναγελαζόμενοι πολέμιοι.
Among fish, some shoal together with one another and are friendly, while those that do not shoal are hostile.
Ἀγελάζονται δ’ οἱ μὲν κυοῦντες, ἔνιοι δ’ ὅταν ἐκτέκωσιν.
Some shoal when they are pregnant, and others when they have spawned.
Ὅλως δ’ ἀγελαῖά ἐστι τὰ τοιάδε, θυννίδες, μαινίδες, κωβιοί, βῶκες, σαῦροι, κορακῖνοι, σινόδοντες, τρίγλαι, σφύραιναι, ἀνθίαι, ἐλεγῖνοι, ἀθερῖνοι, σαργῖνοι, βελόναι, τευθοί, ἰουλίδες, πηλαμύδες, σκόμβροι, κολίαι.
In general, the following are shoaling fish: tunnies, maenides, gobies, bogues, horse-mackerels, crow-fish, dog-teeth, red mullets, barracudas, anthias, elegini, sand-smelts, sargi, garfish, squids, rainbow wrasses, pelamyds, mackerels, and colias.
Τούτων δ’ ἔνιά ἐστιν οὐ μόνον ἀγελαῖα ἀλλὰ καὶ σύζυγα· τὰ γὰρ λοιπὰ συνδυάζεται μὲν ἅπαντα, τὰς δ’ ἀγέλας ποιοῦνται κατ’ ἐνίους καιρούς, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, ὅταν κύωσιν, ἔνια δὲ καὶ ὅταν τέκωσιν.
Of these, some are not only shoaling but also pair-forming; for all the rest do pair off, but they form shoals only at certain seasons, as has been said, when they are pregnant, and some also when they have spawned.
Λάβραξ δὲ καὶ κεστρεὺς πολεμιώτατοι ὄντες κατ’ ἐνίους καιροὺς συναγελάζονται ἀλλήλοις· συναγελάζονται γὰρ πολλάκις οὐ μόνον τὰ ὁμόγονα, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἷς ἡ αὐτὴ καὶ ἡ παραπλήσιός ἐστι νομή, ἂν ᾖ ἄφθονος.
The sea-bass and the mullet, although they are extremely hostile, shoal together with one another at certain seasons; for not only do those of the same stock shoal together, but also those that have the same or similar feeding-ground, if food is abundant.
Ζῶσι δὲ πολλάκις ἀφῃρημένοι οἱ κεστρεῖς τὴν κέρκον καὶ οἱ γόγγροι μέχρι τῆς ἐξόδου τῆς περιττώσεως· ἀπεσθίεται δ’ ὁ μὲν κεστρεὺς ὑπὸ λάβρακος, ὁ δὲ γόγγρος ὑπὸ μυραίνης.
And mullets often live when deprived of their tail, as do congers up to the passage of their excrement; the mullet is bitten off by the sea-bass, and the conger by the moray eel.
Ὁ δὲ πόλεμός ἐστι τοῖς κρείττοσι πρὸς τοὺς ἥττους· κατεσθίει γὰρ ὁ κρείττων.
And the war is waged by the stronger against the weaker; for the stronger eats them up.
Καὶ περὶ μὲν τῶν θαλαττίων ταῦτα.
And this is all concerning marine animals.
§9.3Τὰ δ’ ἤθη τῶν ζῴων, ὥσπερ εἴρηται πρότερον, διαφέρει κατά τε δειλίαν καὶ πραότητα καὶ ἀνδρίαν καὶ ἡμερότητα καὶ νοῦν τε καὶ ἄνοιαν.
The characters of animals, as has been said before, differ in cowardice, gentleness, courage, mildness, and intelligence or foolishness.
Τό τε γὰρ τῶν προβάτων ἦθος, ὥσπερ λέγεται, εὔηθες καὶ ἀνόητον· πάντων γὰρ τῶν τετραπόδων κάκιστόν ἐστι, καὶ ἕρπει εἰς τὰς ἐρημίας πρὸς οὐδέν, καὶ πολλάκις χειμῶνος ὄντος ἐξέρχεται ἔνδοθεν, καὶ ὅταν ὑπὸ νιφετοῦ ληφθῶσιν, ἂν μὴ κινήσῃ ὁ ποιμήν, οὐκ ἐθέλουσιν ἀπιέναι, ἀλλ’ ἀπόλλυνται καταλειπόμενα, ἐὰν μὴ ἄρρενας κομίσωσιν οἱ ποιμένες· τότε δ’ ἀκολουθοῦσιν.
For the character of sheep, as is said, is simple and foolish; of all quadrupeds it is the worst, and it wanders off into deserts for no purpose, and often in winter it goes out from inside, and when they are caught in a snowstorm, unless the shepherd moves them, they refuse to leave, but perish where they are left behind, unless the shepherds bring the males; then they follow.
Τῶν δ’ αἰγῶν ὅταν τις μιᾶς λάβῃ τὸ ἄκρον τοῦ ἠρύγγου (ἔστι δ’ οἷον θρίξ), αἱ ἄλλαι ἑστᾶσιν ὥσπερ μεμωρωμέναι βλέπουσαι εἰς ἐκείνην.
Of goats, when someone catches the tip of the beard of one (it is like a hair), the others stand as if stupefied, looking at her.
Ἐγκαθεύδειν δὲ ψυχρότεραι ὄϊες αἰγῶν· αἱ γὰρ αἶγες μᾶλλον ἡσυχάζουσι καὶ προσέρχονται πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους· εἰσὶ δ’ αἱ αἶγες δυσριγότεραι τῶν ὀΐων.
And sheep are more tolerant than goats of sleeping in the cold; for goats are quieter and approach humans; but goats are more sensitive to cold than sheep.
Διδάσκουσι δ’ οἱ ποιμένες τὰ πρόβατα συνθεῖν ὅταν ψοφήσῃ· ἐὰν γὰρ βροντήσαντος ὑπολειφθῇ τις καὶ μὴ συνδράμῃ, ἐκτιτρώσκει, ἐὰν τύχῃ κύουσα· διὸ ἐὰν ψοφῇ, ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ συνθέουσι διὰ τὸ ἔθος.
And shepherds teach sheep to run together when a noise is made; for if, when it thunders, any sheep is left behind and does not run together, she miscarries if she happens to be pregnant; therefore, if a noise is made, they run together in the pen because of the habit.
Ἀπόλλυνται δὲ καὶ οἱ ταῦροι, ὅταν ἀτιμαγελήσαντες ἀποπλανηθῶσιν, ὑπὸ θηρίων.
And bulls also perish by wild beasts when they wander away, leaving the herd.
Κατάκεινται δ’ αἱ ὄϊες καὶ αἱ αἶγες ἀθρόαι κατὰ συγγένειαν· ὅταν δ’ ὁ ἥλιος τραπῇ θᾶττον, φασὶν οἱ ποιμένες οὐκέτι ἀντιβλεπούσας κατακεῖσθαι τὰς αἶγας, ἀλλ’ ἀπεστραμμένας ἀπ’ ἀλλήλων.
And sheep and goats lie down in groups according to their kinship; and when the sun has turned, shepherds say that the goats no longer lie down looking at each other, but turned away from one another.
§9.4Αἱ δὲ βόες καὶ νέμονται καθ’ ἑταιρείας καὶ συνηθείας, κἂν μία ἀποπλανηθῇ, ἀκολουθοῦσιν αἱ ἄλλαι· διὸ καὶ οἱ βουκόλοι, ἐὰν μίαν μὴ εὕρωσιν, εὐθὺς πάσας ἐπιζητοῦσιν.
And cows graze according to their companionship and familiarity, and if one wanders away, the others follow; wherefore the herdsmen also, if they cannot find one, immediately search for all of them.
Τῶν δ’ ἵππων αἱ σύννομοι, ὅταν ἡ ἑτέρα ἀπόληται, ἐκτρέφουσι τὰ πωλία ἀλλήλων.
Among horses, those that are pasture-companions, when one of them dies, rear each other's foals.
Καὶ ὅλως γε δοκεῖ τὸ τῶν ἵππων γένος εἷναι φύσει φιλόστοργον.
And in general, the genus of horses seems to be by nature affectionate.
Σημεῖον δέ· πολλάκις γὰρ αἱ στέριφαι ἀφαιρούμεναι τὰς μητέρας τὰ πωλία αὐταὶ στέργουσι, διὰ δὲ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν γάλα διαφθείρουσιν.
A proof of this: often barren mares, taking away the foals from their mothers, cherish them themselves, but because they have no milk, they cause them to perish.