BOOK VIII. XIV. 37-xvi. 40 



belly of one that was killed on the Vatican Hill. 

 Their primary food is milk sucked from a cow ; 

 from this they derive their name. 



XV. It is not our concern to give a meticulous oihermid 

 account of all the other species of animals that recently ^or^yV" 

 have reached Italy more frequently by importation countnes. 

 from all quarters. Scythia, owing to its lack of 

 vegetation, produces extremely few ; its neighbour 

 Germany few, but some remarkable breeds of wild 

 oxen, the maned bison and the exceptionally power- 

 ful and swift aurochs," to which the ignorant masses 

 give the name of butnilo, thougii the buffalo is 

 really a native of Africa and rather bears some 

 resemblance to the calf and the stag. XVI. The 

 North also produces herds of wikl horses, as do Asia 

 and Africa of wild asses, and also the elk, which 

 resembles a bullock save that it is distinguished by 

 the length of its ears and neck ; also the achlis,* bovn 

 in the island of Scandinavia <" and never seen in Rome, 

 although many have told stories of it — an animal 

 that is not unUke the elk but has no joint at the hock 

 and consequently is unable to lie down but sleeps 

 leaning against a tree, and is captured by the tree 

 being cut through to serve as a trap,<^ but which 

 nevertheless has a remarkable turn of speed. Its 

 upper hp is exceptionally big ; on account of this it 

 walks backward when grazing, so as to avoid getting 

 tripped up by it in moving forward. There are 

 reports of a wild animal in Paeonia called the bonasus,* 

 which has the mane of a horse but in all other 

 respects resembles a bull ; its horns are curved back 



sUra Hercynia, which included the Black Forest and the 

 Harz. 

 • Probahly tho aurochs again. 



31 



