MEMOIR OF PLINY. 51 



like dogges. Eastward about the sources of the 

 river Ganges, there is a nation called the Astomes, 

 for that they haue no mouthes; no meat nor drinke 

 they take, but Hue only by the aire, and smelling of 

 sweet odours, which they draw in at their nostrills. 

 Higher up above these, the Pygmsei are reported to be; 

 called they are so, for that they are but a cubit high, 

 that is to say, three times nine inches; and these prety 

 people Homer hath reported to be much troubled 

 and anoied by cranes. The speech goeth, that in 

 spring time they set out all of them in battell aray, 

 mounted vpon the backe of rammes and goats, 

 armed with bowes and arrowes, and so downe to the 

 sea-side they march, where they make foule worke 

 among the egges and young cranelings newly hatched, 

 which they destroy without all pitty. Thus, for three 

 months their journey and expedition contineueth, 

 and then they make an end of their valiant seruice." 

 After relating various other prodigies of men eight 

 cubits high, others without shadows, some " without 

 vermine in their heads or cloths, because they feed 

 on viper's flesh ; and others with long shagged tailes, 

 most swift in footmariship, whose eares covered their 

 whole body ;" he thus winds up his catalogue of hu- 

 man monstrosities : " See how Nature is disposed for 

 the nons to diuise full wittily in this and such like pas- 

 times to play with mankinde, thereby not only to make 

 herself merry, but set vs a wondering at such strange 

 miracles." We shall pass by his specimens of mon- 

 strous births, hippocentaurs, twins, triplets, change- 



