Porpoise, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

The Rochester Bestiary describes the porpoise as a sea pig. Similarly to their terrestrial counterparts, sea pigs feed by using their snouts to dig up food in the underwater sand.

Transcription

Translation

Porci marini qui vulgo vocantur suilli; qui-
dam dum escam querunt; ore suo sub aquis
terram fodiunt. Circa guttur enim habent oris
officium. et nisi rostrum arenis inmergant;
pastum non colligunt.

Some of the sea-pigs, which are commonly called pigs, dig the earth under water with their beaks while they are hungry for food. For they have the duty of the mouth about the throat[?], and unless they sink their beaks into the sand, they do not gather food.