Besides this, there are certain animals, which are harmless to the natives of the country, but destroy strangers; such are the little serpents at Tirynthus,[2132] which are said to spring from out of the earth. In Syria, also, and especially on the banks of the Euphrates, the serpents never attack the Syrians when they are asleep, and even if they happen to bite a native who treads upon them, their venom is not felt; but to persons of any other country they are extremely hostile, and fiercely attack them, causing a death attended with great torture. On this account, the Syrians never kill them. On the contrary, on Latmos, a mountain[2133] of Caria, as Aristotle tells us, strangers are not injured by the scorpions, while the natives are killed by them. But I must now give an account of other animals as well, and of the productions of the earth.[2134] * * * * * Summary.—Remarkable events, narratives, and observations, seven hundred and eighty-seven. * * * * * Roman authors quoted.—Mucianus,[2135] Procilius,[2136] Verrius Flaccus,[2137] L. Piso,[2138] Cornelius Valerianus,[2139] Cato the Censor,[2140] Fenestella,[2141] Trogus,[2142] the Register of the Triumphs,[2143] Columella,[2144] Virgil,[2145] Varro,[2146] Lucilius,[2147] Metellus Scipio,[2148] Cornelius Celsus,[2149] Nigidius,[2150] Trebius Niger,[2151] Pomponius Mela,[2152] Mamilius Sura.[2153] * * * * * Foreign authors quoted.—King Juba,[2154] Polybius,[2155] Herodotus,[2156] Antipater,[2157] Aristotle,[2158] Demetrius[2159] the physician, Democritus,[2160] Theophrastus,[2161] Euanthes,[2162] Agriopas,[2163] who wrote the “Olympionicæ,” King Hiero,[2164] King Attalus,[2165] Philometor, Ctesias,[2166] Duris,[2167] Philistus,[2168] Archytas,[2169] Phylarchus,[2170] Amphilochus[2171] of Athens, Anaxapolis[2172] the Thasian, Apollodorus[2173] of Lemnos, Aristophanes[2174] the Milesian, Antigonus[2175] the Cumæan, Agathocles[2176] of Chios, Apollonius[2177] of Pergamus, Aristander[2178] of Athens, Bacchius[2179] of Miletus, Bion[2180] of Soli, Chæreas[2181] the Athenian, Diodorus[2182] of Priene, Dion[2183] the Colophonian, Epigenes[2184] the Rhodian, Euagon[2185] of Thasos, Euphronius[2186] of Athens, Hegesias[2187] of Maronea, the Menanders[2188] of Priene and of Heraclea, Menecrates[2189] the poet, Androtion[2190] who wrote on Agriculture, Æschrion[2191] who wrote on Agriculture, Lysimachus[2192] who wrote on Agriculture, Dionysius[2193] who translated Mago, Diophanes[2194] who made an epitome of the work of Dionysius, King Archelaus,[2195] Nicander.[2196] BOOK IX. THE NATURAL HISTORY OF FISHES. CHAP. 1. (1.)—WHY THE LARGEST ANIMALS ARE FOUND IN THE SEA.