Book 2
69
There is a bird called the συκαλὶς, or figpecker. And Alexander the Myndian asserts—One of the tits is called by some people elœus, and by others pirias; but when the figs become ripe, it gets the name of sycalis. And there are two species of this bird, the sycalis and the μελαγκόρυφος, or blackcap. Epicharmus spells the word with two λλ, and writes συκαλλίδες. He speaks of beautiful συκαλλίδες: and in a subsequent passage he says— And herons were there with their long bending necks, And grouse who pick up seed, and beautiful sycallilles. And these birds are caught at the season when figs are ripe. And it is more correct to spell the name with on y one λ; but Epicharmus put in the second λ because of the metre.
70
There is a kind of finch, too, which was sometimes eaten, of which Eubulus says, And Ephippus says, in his Geryones— When 'twas the Amphidromian festival, When 'tis the custom to toast bits of cheese O' the Chersonesus; and to boil a cabbage, Bedewed with shining oil; and eke to bake The breasts of fat and well-fed lambs; to pluck The feathers from the thrushes, doves and finches; And also to eat cuttle-fish with anchovies, And baskets of rich polypus to collect, And to drink many cups of unmixed wine.
