58 



him to his den, and putting- his nostrils to the opening, blows so 

 strong a blast that he rouses the serpent, and provokes him, though 

 reluctant, to mortal conflict. The serpent lifts his neck on high, 

 champs his venomed Jaws, and utters fearful liisses, but in vain. 

 The deer, as if in disdainful sport of his enemy, lacerates him with 

 his teeth, and stamps his palpitating mutilated body on the ground, 

 in a manner to excite pity even for a monster so rutiiless. Serpents, 

 however, seek their revenge. On the sandy plains of Libya a whole 

 army of them will attack a deer. They fasten on his head and 

 neck — they twine arovmd his limbs, his horns, breast, and loins, 

 till he is all enveloped in their folds. In vain does he attempt to 

 fly ; he attacks them with his horns, he rends them with his teeth, 

 and stamps them to pieces with his hoof, till the ground is covered 

 with their gore and their fragments. But still they cling to his 

 sides, and even in death retain their hold. At length the deer, by 

 a divine impulse inspired, hastes to the brink of a river, and finds 

 in its crabs a remedy for his misfortune. Tiie serpents drop from 

 his skin, and his wounds are closed. 



Tlie swiftness and strength of the Ao^^os, Gazelle, are well known. 

 Between this race and that of Partridges sulwists an intimate friend- 

 ship, and they always love to dwell near each other, a circum- 

 stance which cruel men turn to their destruction, since they employ 

 the one species as a decoy for the other. 



Goats and sheep have the seat of strength in their forehead, 

 which they can use with so much power as to lay the wild boar 

 palpitating in the dust. Often too, they combat with each other, 

 and the noise of their meeting horns resounds to heaven. The con- 

 test is mortal, and one must be victorious or die. A small canal in 

 the middle of their horns serves as a passage for their breath, whence 

 if its orifice be covered with wax, the gale of life is closed. The 



