| Pliny the Elder, Natural History (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Plin. Nat.]. | ||
| <<Plin. Nat. 9.45 | Plin. Nat. 9.46 (Latin) | >>Plin. Nat. 9.47 |
There are numerous kinds of polypi. The land [Note] polypus is larger than that of the sea; they all of them use their arms [Note] as feet and hands; and in coupling they employ the tail, which is forked [Note] and sharp. The polypus has a sort of passage in the back, [Note] by which it lets in and discharges the water, and which
it shifts from side to side, sometimes carrying it on the right, and sometimes on the left. It swims obliquely, [Note] with the head on one side, which is of surprising hardness while the animal is alive, being puffed out with air. [Note] In addition to this, they have cavities [Note] dispersed throughout the claws, by means of which, through suction, they can adhere to objects; which they hold, with the head upwards, so tightly, that they cannot be torn away. They cannot attach themselves, however, to the bottom of the sea, and their retentive powers are weaker in the larger ones. These are the only [Note] soft fish that come on dry land, and then only where the surface is rugged: a smooth surface they will not come near. They feed upon the flesh of shell-fish, the shells of which they can easily break in the embrace of their arms: hence it is that their retreat may be easily detected by the pieces of shell which lie before it. Although, in other respects, this is looked upon as a remarkably stupid kind of animal, so much so, that it will swim towards the hand of a man, to a certain extent in its own domestic matters it manifests considerable intelligence. It carries its prey to its home, and after eating all the flesh, throws out the debris, and then pursues such small fish as may chance to swim towards them. It also changes its colour [Note] according to the aspect of the place where it is, and more especially when it is alarmed. The notion is entirely unfounded that it gnaws [Note] its own arms; for it is from the congers that this mischance befalls it; but it is no other
than true that its arms shoot forth again, like the tail in the colotus [Note] and the lizard. [Note]
| Pliny the Elder, Natural History (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Plin. Nat.]. | ||
| <<Plin. Nat. 9.45 | Plin. Nat. 9.46 (Latin) | >>Plin. Nat. 9.47 |
