And yet, for all this,
the dolphin has no organ of hearing discernible. Furthermore, when
engaged in their craft, fishermen are particularly careful to make
no noise with oar or net; and after they have spied a shoal, they
let down their nets at a spot so far off that they count upon no noise
being likely to reach the shoal, occasioned either by oar or by the
surging of their boats through the water; and the crews are strictly
enjoined to preserve silence until the shoal has been surrounded. And,
at times, when they want the fish to crowd together, they adopt the
stratagem of the dolphin-hunter; in other words they clatter stones
together, that the fish may, in their fright, gather close into one
spot, and so they envelop them within their nets. (Before
surrounding them, then, they preserve silence, as was said; but, after
hemming the shoal in, they call on every man to shout out aloud and
make any kind of noise; for on hearing the noise and hubbub the fish
are sure to tumble into the nets from sheer fright.) Further, when
fishermen see a shoal of fish feeding at a distance, disporting
themselves in calm bright weather on the surface of the water, if they
are anxious to descry the size of the fish and to learn what kind of a
fish it is, they may succeed in coming upon the shoal whilst yet
basking at the surface if they sail up without the slightest noise,
but if any man make a noise previously, the shoal will be seen to
scurry away in alarm.
Pages:
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205