BOOK VIII. XXXVIII. 93-XL. 96 



into the river and mounting on their back as if riding 

 a horse, when they yawn with the head thrown back- 

 ward to bite, insert a staff into the mouth, and holding 

 the staff at both ends with their right and left hands, 

 drive their prisoners to the land as if with bridles, 

 and by terrifying them even merely with their shouts 

 compel them todisgorge therecentlyswallowed bodies 

 for burial. Consequently this island only is not visited 

 by crocodiles, and the scent of this race of men 

 drives them away, as that of the Psylli " does snakes. 

 This animal is said to have dim sight in the water, 

 but to be very keen-sighted when out of it ; and to 

 pass four months of the winter in a cave continuously 

 without food. Some persons think that this alone 

 of animals goes on growing in size as long as it lives ; 

 but it lives a long time. 



XXXIX. A monster of still greater height is also rhehippo- 

 produced in the Nile, the hippopotamus, which has p"""^"'-' 

 cloven hoofs like those of oxen, a horse's back, mane 

 and neigh, a snub snout, a boar's tail and curved 

 tusks, though these are less formidable, and with a 

 hide that supplies an impenetrable material for 

 shields and helmets, except if they are soaked in 

 moisture. It feeds on the crops, marking out a 

 definite portion beforehand for each day, so it is said, 

 and making its footprints lead out of the field,* so 

 that no ti-aps may be laid for it when it returns. 



XL. A hippopotanius was exhibited at Rome for 

 the first time, together with five crocodiles, by 

 Marcus Scaurus at the games which he gave when 

 aedile <^ ; a temporary channel was made to hold 

 them. The hippopotamus stands out as an actual iu biood- 

 master in one department of medicine ; for when its ^^"*"i'- 

 unceasing voracity has caused it to overeat itself it 



69 



