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βάτραχος ὕδρον μισεῖ καὶ δέδοικεν ἰσχυρῶς. οὐκοῦν τῇ βοῇ τῇ πολλῇ πειρᾶται ἀντεκπλήττειν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀντιφοβεῖν. κροκοδείλου δὲ κακουργία ἐς [p. 300] ἀνθρώπου τε θήραν καὶ ζῴου ἑτέρου. τὴν ἀτραπὸν δἰ ἧς οἶδε κατιόντας ἐς ποταμὸν ἢ ἐφ᾽ ὑδρείαν ἢ ἵππου ἀρδείαν ἢ καμήλου ἢ καὶ νὴ Δία ὥστε ἐπιβῆναι πλοίου, ταύτην τοι νύκτωρ πολλῷ τῷ ὕδατι καταρραίνει:, καὶ ἐμπλήσας τὸ στόμα ἐγχεῖ κατὰ τῆς ἀτραποῦ πολλάκις, ὀλισθηρὰν αὐτὴν ἐργάσασθαι θέλων καὶ εὐκολωτέραν ἑαυτῷ τὴν ἄγραν ἀποφαίνων: τὰ γάρ τοι κατολισθάνοντα οὐ κρατεῖ τῆς ἐπιβάθρας, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκεῖνα μὲν κατηνέχθη, ὃ δὲ ὑπεπήδησεν ὑπολαβὼν καὶ δειπνεῖ. ὀλίγα δὲ κροκοδείλων πέρι ἐρῶ καὶ νῦν. οὐ πρὸς πᾶν τὸ τῶν τροχίλων γένος ἐστὶ τῷδε τῷ θηρίῳ ἔνσπονδα ῾πολλὰ δὲ αὐτῶν γένη καὶ ὀνόματα, τραχέα δὲ καὶ ἀκοῦσαι ἀντίτυπα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐῶ αὐτά᾽ μόνον δὲ τὸν καλούμενον κλαδαρόρυγχον ἑταῖρον καὶ φίλον ἔχει: δύναται γὰρ οὗτος ἀλύπως ἐκλέγειν αὐτῷ τὰς βδέλλας.
Claudii Aeliani de natura animalium libri xvii, varia historia, epistolae, fragmenta, Vol 1. Aelian. Rudolf Hercher. In Aedibus B.G. Teubneri. Lipsiae. 1864. Keyboarding.
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