282 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [BookYIIl. 



the human race ; for all who behold its eyes, fall dead upon the 

 spot. 61 



CHAP. 33. THE SERPENTS CALLED BASILISKS. 



There is the same power also in the serpent called the basi- 

 lisk. 62 It is produced in the province of Gyrene, being not 

 more than twelve fingers in length. It has a white spot on the 

 head, strongly resembling a sort of a diadem. 63 When it 

 hisses, all the other serpents fly from it : and it does not ad- 

 vance its body, like the others, by a succession of folds, but 

 moves along upright and erect upon the middle. It destroys 

 all shrubs, not only by its contact, but those even that it has 

 breathed upon ; it burns up all the grass too, and breaks the 

 stones, so tremendous is its noxious influence. It was formerly 

 a general belief that if a man on horseback killed one of these 

 animals with a spear, the poison would run up the weapon and 

 kill, not only the rider, but the horse as well. To this dread- 

 ful monster the effluvium of the weasel is fatal, a thing that 

 has been tried with success, for kings have often desired to see 

 its body when killed ; so true is it that it has pleased Nature 

 that there should be nothing without its antidote. The animal 

 is thrown into the hole of the basilisk, which is easily known 

 from the soil around it being infected. The weasel destroys 

 the basilisk by its odour, but dies itself in this struggle of nature 

 against its own self. 64 



CHAP. 34. (22.) WOLVES ; THE ORIGIN OF THE STORY OP VERSI- 



PELL1S. 



In Italy also it is believed that there is a noxious influence 

 in the eye of a wolf; it is supposed that it will instantly take 



61 JElian describes this animal more in detail, Anim. Nat. B. vii. c. 5. 

 Cuvier thinks it probable that it is the Antelope gnu ; he remarks, that it 

 has a very peculiar and mournful appearance ; Ajasson, vol. vi. p. 435 ; 

 Lemaire, vol. iii. p. 405. B. 



62 This account of the basilisk's eye, like that of the catoblepas, is en- 

 tirely devoid of foundation. B. 



63 Many species have certain marks on the head, which were supposed to 

 resemble a crown. B. 



64 There is probably no foundation for this account of the action of the 

 effluvium of the weasel upon the basilisk or any other species of serpent. B. 



