Nature of Sea and River Creatures

The Atlantic seas are great in size. As for the crab, the flesh of the oyster is edible; but since it is unable to open the folding of its shells, it watches for the folds to be opened in remote places, and being delighted by the sunlight, it takes a pebble and inserts it secretly, then closes the folding, and thus easily destroys it. The sea urchin foreknows the onset of winter, and carries a pebble so as not to be tossed about by the force of the waves. The octopus, having rushed against a certain rock, became of the same color as it, and it destroys the fish approaching the rock.

The nautilus is the smallest in nature, yet it stands up being carried by a gale as if the greatest of ships, so that the ship seems to be lost in the sea. In the river there is the hydra, having the form of a dog, which is an enemy to the crocodile and destroys him while he sleeps. For the crocodile sleeps having opened its own mouth; and the hydra, having curled itself into the mud [ph. Having coiled itself], leaps into its mouth, and by destroying everything inside it, it destroys him.

The crocodile is a beast both like a land animal and a fish, great from head to tail, though it does not have a width in proportion to its size. Its back is thin like a stream, the color of its back is like black stone, and its belly is white. Its feet are four, curved toward the side, much like the land turtle; it has a long and thick tail, for it is the end of a single spine. It is notched from above into spines, which are like the teeth of saws, and it strikes with them against those whom it might beat. One of its heads is joined to the backs, standing straight in a single measure; as far as it has not opened, it is a beast's head, but if it loses this, it becomes a whole mouth, making a chasm even unto the shoulders.

The so-called hippopotamus has the feet and the belly of a horse, and its weapon is split like a hoof, with a thick tail that is thin of hair, because the whole of its body is thus: a head that is circular, slightly different from the cheek of a horse, and it has a hollowed nose breathing a fiery smoke, as from a furnace, having a wide snout; for it opens the mouth even unto the temples.

Its interior is densely hairy, possessing two curved teeth like a boar. The whole thing is very easy to swallow, making it food. It is hunted in this way: the hunters watch it, dig a pit, cover it with a reed, sprinkle it with sand, and build a wooden house below, having the doors open toward the roof of the pit; when the beast climbs upon it, it falls helplessly, and is trapped inside the house being carried down. Then the hunters immediately close it. Second... the small beast makes a loud noise.

In the fish, there is much internal heat and sharpness; therefore they fall prey more easily, eating things that immediately tear the edible parts within their bellies. The sea-fox, if it is unable to escape the net, swallowing the bait, leaping and running, drives away the sea-urchin and flees. The crocodile is a man-eating beast; when it is about to make its nests, having surveyed, it turns the female onto the banks; for this alone is accustomed to approach lying on its back, and after the interaction, striking her again with its hands, it turns her back; when it perceives her to be related to another, it pretends to mingle with her, and in the same way, having turned her, it recognizes her by the smell (for it has a sharp sense for this) having been impregnated by another, and having torn her belly with its claws, it eats everything within it. For the animal is tender around the belly; for its back is clothed in hard scales, so that even the sharpest iron, when brought against it, is blunted.

Let the winged creatures bring forth living souls from the waters, and suddenly the air is filled with all kinds of birds. He gave them their origin from the waters, since they have been allotted a certain kinship to the fish. Just as the fish cut the water with the movement of their fins and move through it, so the winged ones move through the air with their wings. Among them, the carnivores possess a construction appropriate to their slaughtering diet, having sharp claws, a curved lip, and a sharp wing to easily snatch and tear apart; but the seed-eaters and those fed on everything are different. And the construction of each of these...