14.06.26: Comenius (1658) XXXV; Sea-fish and Shell-fish … and fish that ‘flie’ (4) from the authors; Pliny the Elder’s Natural History [4]

[v] Piscium sanguine carent dē quibus dicēmus. sunt autem tria genera: prīmum quae mollia appellantur, dein contēcta crustīs tenuibus, postrēmō testis conclūsa dūrīs. mollia sunt lollīgō, saepia (sēpia), polypus et cētera generis eius.

Piscium sanguine carent dē quibus dicēmus,│ There are some fish that lack blood, of which we will speak,

sunt autem tria genera: │ but there are three kinds: 

prīmum quae mollia appellantur, │ first, those which are called soft-bodied;

dein contēcta crustīs tenuibus │ next, those covered with thin crusts;

postrēmō testīs conclūsa dūrīs. │ and finally, those enclosed in hard shells.

mollia sunt │ The soft-bodied ones are

lollīgō, │ the squid

saepia (sēpia), │  the cuttlefish,

polypus │ the octopus,

et cētera generis eius. │ and others of that kind.”

[vi] ideō pinnārum quoque fīunt discrīmina, quae pedum vice sunt datae piscibus nūllīs suprā quaternās, quibusdam bīnae, aliquis nūllae. bīnae omnīnō longīs et lūbricīs, ut anguillīs et congrīs, aliīs nūllae, ut mūrēnīs, quibus nec branchiae. … et ē plānīs aliqua nōn habent pinnās, ut pastinācae … et quae mollia appellantur, ut polypī, quoniam pedēs illīs pinnārum vicem praestant.

ideō pinnārum quoque fīunt discrīmina, │ Therefore, distinctions are also made among fins,

pinna, -ae [1/f]: fin, although far more usually an alternative form of penna, -ae [1/f]: feather

quae pedum vice sunt datae piscibus nūllīs suprā quaternās, quibusdam bīnae, aliquis nūllae │ which in place of feet have been given to fish, none (have) more than four, some have two, some have none

vice [+ gen.]: in place (of)

bīnae omnīnō longīs et lūbricīs, ut anguillīs et congrīs, │ long and slippery (fish / ones), such as eels and conger eels, have two in all

conger, congrī [2/m]: conger eel

lūbricus, -a, -um: slippery; slimy 

aliīs nūllae, ut mūrēnīs, quibus nec branchiae. │ others, like moray eels, have none, and nor do they have gills

branchia, -ae [1/f] (usually plural branchiae) gills

et ē plānīs aliqua nōn habent pinnās, ut pastinācae │ and among flat (fishes), some have no fins such as the stingrays

et quae mollia appellantur, ut polypī, │ and those which are called soft, such as the octopuses,

quoniam pedēs illīs pinnārum vicem praestant. │ Literally: because the feet provide for them the the function of fins = because their feet serve them instead of fins.

vicis, -is [3/f]: (here) duty (of one person assumed by another)

[vii] Plūrima autem et maxima animālia in Indicō marī, ex quibus ballaenae quaternum iūgerum, … quippe ubi locustae quaterna cubita impleant, anguillae quoque in Gange amne trīcēnōs pedēs. │ But the greatest number and largest animals (are) in the Indian Ocean; among them are whales covering four iugera of space… where even lobsters reach four cubits in length, and eels in the river Ganges thirty feet.

iūgerum, -ī [2/n]: a juger / iuger, Roman measurement of land equalling approx. ¼ hectare