258 ARISTOTLE S ENAIMA, 



The statements made by Aristotle about some of these 

 animals will be considered. 



Aristotle s Gale and Iktis are closely related, for he says 

 that Iktis is like Gale in the thickness of its fur, in its 

 appearance, in the whiteness of its under parts, and in its 

 cunning disposition ; he also says that it is easily tamed, 

 very fond of honey, is about as large as a small Maltese dog, 

 and that it eats birds like a cat.* He also says that the 

 Gale kills birds by lacerating their throats, just as a wolf 

 kills sheep, and that it attacks snakes, especially those 

 which, like itself, hunt mice.! 



There are many references in the ancient writers, e.g., 

 Aristophanes, from which it is clear that Gale was a domestic 

 animal. Prof. Kolleston concluded that Gale was the beech 

 marten (Mustela foina), and Iktis the pine marten (M. 

 martes) . I The chief object of his paper is to show that the 

 Gale performed for the ancient Greeks the same duties as 

 are performed for us by the domestic cat, and this object is 

 effected so successfully as to leave no doubt in the mind of 

 a reader of the paper. Prof. Eolleston s identification of 

 Iktis is less satisfactory. 



Cetti, in I Quadr. di Sardegna, 1774, p. 179, and 

 Sundevall, in Die Thierarten des Aristoteles, 1863, p. 49, 

 held that the boccamele or Sardinian weasel (M. boccamele), 

 discovered by Cetti, about the year 1770, was Aristotle s 

 Iktis. It kills birds, mice, and other small animals, and is 

 said to be easily tamed. The specimens of this animal 

 which I have seen at the Natural History Museum, South 

 Kensington, are larger than the common weasel and darker 

 in colour. Respecting Aristotle s statement that Iktis is fond 

 of honey, it is said that the name &quot;boccamele&quot; was given 

 to the Sardinian weasel because of its fondness for honey, 

 but conclusive evidence about this is not readily obtainable. 

 Mr. G. C. Zervos, of Calymnos, informs me that he does not 

 know of any weasel of the Greek area notoriously fond of 

 honey. 



In conclusion, the boccamele and the beech marten seem 

 to furnish the best identifications of Iktis and Gale, respec 

 tively. According to Mr. G. C. Zervos, modern Greeks 

 regard Gale as the &quot; cat &quot; of the ancient Greeks, and Iktis 



* H. A. ix. c. 7, s. 5. f Ibid. ix. c. 7, s. 4. 



| &quot; On the Domestic Cats, Felis domestica and Mustela foina, of 

 Ancient and Modern Times,&quot; Science Papers, &c., 1884, 2 vols., Paper 28. 



