278 THE HISTOEY OF ANIMALS. [B EL 



after birth falls off except that on the pubes, this becomes 

 weaker, but still remains. The hair produced at birth does 

 not fall off, for the eunuch never becomes bald. The voice 

 also of castrated animals changes to that of the female. Other 

 animals, if not castrated when young, are destroyed by the 

 operation ; with, the boar it makes no difference. All ani- 

 mals, if castrated when young, become larger and more 

 graceful than those not castrated ; but if already grown, 

 they never become any larger. 



8. If stags are castrated before they are old enough to 

 have horns, these never appear ; but if castrated after they 

 have horns, their size never varies, nor are they subject to 

 their annual change. Calves are castrated at a year old, if 

 not they become bad and inferior. The steer is castrated in 

 this manner : they lay down the animal and cut the scrotum, 

 and press out the testicles ; they next contract the root 

 of the testicle as much as possible, and fill up the wound 

 with hair in order that the discharge may escape, and if it 

 inflames, they cauterize and sprinkle the scrotum. If adult 

 bulls are castrated, they are still apparently capable of 

 sexual intercourse. 



4. The capria of the sow is also cut out, so that they 

 should not desire coition, but fatten rapidly. They are cut 

 after fasting two days. They hang them up by the hind 

 legs and make an incision in the lower part of the belly, 

 where the testicles of the male are generally found ; the 

 capria is there formed upon the matrix, from which they cut 

 off a portion, and sew up the wound again. 



5. The female camels also are cut when they wish to take 

 them to war, that they may not become pregnant. Some of 

 those in the upper parts of Asia possess as many as three 

 thousand. Such camels, when they run, are far more swift 

 than the Nisaean horses, from the length of their stretch. 

 And on the whole, castrated animals are longer-bodied than 

 those not castrated. 



6. All animals that ruminate, derive as much use and 

 pleasure from rumination' as from eating. Animals that 

 have not cutting-teeth in both jaws ruminate, as the ox, 

 sheep, and goat. No observations have been made on wild 

 animals except those which occasionally associate with men, 

 as the stag, though this animal ruminates. They all lie down 



