B. VI.] THE HISTORY OF ANIMALS. 163 



7. The stallions recognise the mares of their own herds 

 by the scent ; and if any strangers become mixed with them 

 a few days before the period of coition, they bite them till 

 they go away, and each stallion feeds apart with his own 

 mares. Thirty mares, or rather less, are given to each ; and 

 if any male approaches, he turns and goes round the mares 

 in a circle, and then prepares to fight. If any one of the 

 females attempts to move, he bites and prevents her. 



8. At the season of sexual intercourse the bull pastures 

 with the cows, and fights with other bulls : at other times 

 the sexes keep themselves separate : this is called arifjiaytXt/v 

 (despising the herd) ; those in Epirus are often not seen for 

 three months : and generally all, or nearly all, wild animals, 

 do not herd with their females before the season of sexual 

 intercourse : but as soon as they come to puberty the males 

 separate themselves, and cease to feed with the females. 

 Sows, when they are urged by sexual desire, or, as it is 

 called, desire the boar (xangav), will even attack men. 

 In bitches this affection is called 6xvav, to desire the 

 dog. 



9. "When females are urged with desire, their genital organs 

 are swollen with heat, and a fluid secretion takes place. 

 Mares scatter about a white fluid at this season. In no 

 creatures -are the catamenia so abundant as in women. In 

 sheep and goats at the season of coition, there are certain 

 signs before copulation : there are also signs ; fter copu- 

 lation, but these again cease till the period of parturition, 

 when they again occur. By this means shepherds under- 

 stand that they are about to produce their young. After 

 parturition there is a great purification, which at first is not 

 very full of blood, but becomes so afterwards. 



10. In the cow, the ass, and mare, this purification is 

 abundant, on account of their great size; but still it is 

 small, considering how large they are. When the cow is 

 urged by desire, she undergoes a brief purification, about 

 half-a-cup full, or a little more. The time of this purification 

 is peculiarly the period for sexual intercouse. Of all quad- 

 rupeds the mare suffers the least, and is the most cleanly in 

 parturition : neither is her loss of blood great considering 

 the size of the animal. In cows and mares, the failure of 

 the catamenia in the second, fourth, and sixth month is con- 



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