LSJ
τά, (< μέλπω) means of playing, plaything; Hom. (only in Il.) always in pl., of an unburied corpse, sport, plaything, κυνῶν μέλπηθρα γένοιτο a sport of dogs, 13.233; κυσὶν μέλπηθρα γενέσθαι 17.255.
Liddell-Scott-Jones, Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1940)