312 PLimr's NATUKAL HISTOKT. [Book VIII. 



most valued, however, of all, are those of the island of Asty- 

 palaea. 3 



CHAP. 60. LIZARDS. 4 



It is said, that the lizard, the greatest enemy of all to the 

 snail, never prolongs its life beyond six months. The lizards 

 of Arabia are a cubit in length, 5 while those upon Nysa, 6 a 

 mountain of India, are twenty-four feet long, their colour 

 being either yellow, purple, or azure blue. 



CHAP. 61. (40.) THE QUALITIES OF THE DOG J EXAMPLES OP 

 ITS ATTACHMENT TO ITS MASTEK ; NATIONS WHICH HAVE 

 KEPT DOGS FOR THE PURPOSES OF WAR. 



Among the animals, also, that are domesticated with mankind, 

 there are many circumstances that are far from undeserving 

 of being known: among these, there are more particularly 

 that most faithful friend of man, the dog, and the horse. We 

 have an account of a dog that fought against a band of robbers, 

 in defending its master ; and although it was pierced with 

 wounds, still it would not leave the body, from which it drove 

 away all birds and beasts. Another dog, again, in Epirus, 

 recognized the murderer of its master, in the midst of an as- 

 semblage of people, and, by biting and barking at him, ex- 

 torted from him a confession of his crime. A king of the 

 Garamantes also was brought back from exile by two hundred 

 dogs, which maintained the combat against all his opponents. 

 The people of Colophon 7 and Castabala 8 kept troops of dogs, 

 for the purposes of war ; and these used to fight in the front 

 rank, and never retreat ; they were the most faithful of aux- 

 iliaries, and yet required no pay. After the defeat of the 

 Cimbri, their dogs defended their moveable houses, which were 

 carried upon waggons. Jason, the Lycian, having been slain, 



8 See B. iv. c. 23. The Romans valued them as a delicate food. 



4 This account appears to be principally from Aristotle. Hist Anim. 

 B. v. c, 29 B. 



5 According to Cuvier, Ajasson, vol. yi. p. 458, and Lemaire, vol. iii, 

 p. 475, the species of lizard named monitor, frequently exceeds this size ; 

 but he remarks, in reference to the size of the Indian lizard, that none of 

 the saurians, except the crocodile, attains the length here mentioned. B. 



See B. vi. c. 23. 7 g ee . v. c. 31. 



8 See B. v. c. 22, and B. yi. c. 3. 



