203 THE HISTOilY OF ANIMALS. [B. Till, 



their places very soon, and only crop the top of the grass. 

 The sheep fatten rapidly with drinking, and for this reason 

 during summer they give them salt, a medimnus to each hun- 

 dred sheep ; for in this manner the flock becomes more 

 healthy and fat, and frequently they collect and bring them 

 together for this purpose, that they may mix a great deal of 

 salt with their food ; for when thirsty they drink the more. 

 And in the autumn they feed them with gourds which 

 they have sprinkled with salt, for this makes them give more 

 milk. When driven about in the heat of the day they drink 

 more towards evening. If fed with salt after parturition, 

 the udder becomes larger. 



2. Sheep fatten on green shoots, vetches, and all kinds of 

 grass, and they fatten more rapidly when their food is 

 salted. They fatten more rapidly if previously starved for 

 three days. During autumn northern water is better for 

 sheep than southern, and pastures towards the west are 

 good for them. Long journeys and weariness make them 

 lean. Shepherds distinguish the strong sheep during winter 

 by the frost adhering to their wool, which is not the case 

 with those that are sick; for those that are not strong 

 move about in their weakness and shake it off. 



3. The flesh of all quadrupeds which feed in marshy 

 grounds is inferior to that of those which live on high 

 ground. Sheep with wide tails endure the winter better 

 than those with long tails, and short woolled-sheep better 

 than long-woolled, and those with curly wool are more 

 affected by the cold. Sheep are more healthy than goats, 

 though goats are the stronger. The fleece and the wool of 

 sheep which have been devoured by wolves, and garments 

 made of such wool are more subject to vermin than others. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



1. THOSE insects which have teeth are omnivorous, but those 

 which have a tongue only live upon fluids, which they collect 

 from all sources with this organ. Some of these are omni- 

 vorous, for they feed upon all kinds of fluids, as the fly. 

 Others only suck blood, as the myops and oestrus. Others, 

 again, live upon the juices of plants and fruit. The bee is 

 the only insect that never touches anything putrid. It uses 



