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Ἀγρεὺς τὸ ὄνομα, τὴν φύσιν πτηνός, τὸ γένος κοσσύφων φράτωρ, μέλας τὴν χρόαν, μουσικὸς τὴν γλῶτταν. κέκληται δὲ ἀγρεύς, καὶ δικαίως: τῷ γάρ τοι μέλει τῶν ἄλλων ὀρνέων αἱρεῖ τὰ ἁπαλὰ προσπετόμενα τῇ τῆς εὐμουσίας θέλξει. εἰδὼς οὖν τὸ συμφυὲς αὐτῷ πλεονέκτημα, ἔοικε χρῆσθαι τῷ παρὰ τῆς φύσεως δώρῳ ἐς ἡδονὴν ἅμα καὶ τροφήν: ἀκούων μὲν γὰρ ἑαυτοῦ εὐφραίνεται, θηρῶν δὲ τὰ προσιόντα ἐμπίπλαται. τοῦτον εἴ τίς ποτε ἐθήρασε καὶ ἐν οἰκίσκῳ καθεῖρξεν, οὐδὲν αὐτῷ πλέον τὸ τῆς σπουδῆς: ἔχει γὰρ ἄφωνον ὄρνιν, ὥσπερ οὖν τὸν θηράσαντα ὑπὲρ τῆς δουλείας ἀμυνόμενον τῇ σιωπῇ.
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