BOOK VIII. XVI. 40-.W11. 43 



in such a manner as to be of no use for lighting, and 

 it is said that because of this it saves itself by running 

 away, meanwhile emitting a trail of dung that some- 

 times covers a distance of as much as three furlongs, 

 contact with which scorches pursuers hke a sort of 

 fire. 



XVII. It is remarkable that leopards, panthers," FeHne 

 hons and similar animals walk with the point of their ^[f^gir^gait. 

 claws sheathed inside the body so that they may not 

 get broken or blunted, and run with their talons 

 turned back and do not extend them except when 

 attempting to catch something. 



The hon is speciallv hifjh-spirited at the time when The Uon—u 



htjhrid- 



its neck and shoulders are clothed with a mane — for uaMon. 

 this occurs at maturity in the case of those sired by 

 a hon, though those begotten by leopards always 

 lack this characteristic ; and the females hkewise. 

 Sexual passion is strong in this species, with its 

 consequence of quarrelsomeness in the males ; this 

 is most observed in Africa, where the shortage of 

 water makes the animals flock to the few rivers. 

 There are consequently many varieties of hybrids in 

 that country, either violence or lust mating the males 

 with the females of each species indiscriminately. 

 This is indeed the origin of the common saying of 

 Greece that Africa is alvvays producing some 

 novelty.^ A hon detects intercourse with a leopard 

 in the case of an adulterous mate by scent, and 

 concentrates his entire strength on her chastisement ; 

 consequently this guilty stain is washed away in a 

 stream, or else she keeps her distance when accom- 

 panying him. But I notice that there used to be 

 a popular behef that the honess only bears a cub 

 once, as her womb is wounded by the points of 



33 



