BOOK VIII. xLv. loy-XLix. ni 



that in Ethiopia the mantichoi-a " also mimics hiiman 

 speech. 



XLVI. Hyenas occur most numerously in Africa, ThewUdass. 

 which also produces a multitude of wild asses. In 

 that species each male is lord of a separate herd of 

 females. They are afraid of rivals in their aflPections, 

 and consequently they keep a watch on their females 

 when in foal, and geld their male offspring with a 

 bite ; to guard against this the females when in foal 

 seek hiding-places and are anxious to give birth by 

 stealth. Also they are fond of a great deal of sexual 

 indulgence. 



XLVII. The beavers of the Black Sea region prac- Thebeaver. 

 tise self-amputation of the same organ when beset by 

 danger, as they know that they are hunted for the 

 sake of its secretion, the medical name for which is 

 beaver-oil.* Apart from this the beaver is an animal 

 with a formidable bite, cutting down trees on the 

 river banks as if with steel ; if it gets hold of part of 

 a man's body it does not relax its bite before the 

 fractured bones are heard grinding together. The 

 beaver has a fish's tail, while the rest of its con- 

 formation resembles an otter's ; both species are 

 aquatic, and both have fur that is softer than 

 do\\Ti. 



XLVIII. Also the bramble-frog,'^ which is amphi- ThebrmMe 

 bious in its habit, is replete with a great number of ^°^' 

 drugs, which it is said to evacuate daily and to re- 

 place by the food that it eats, always keeping back 

 only the poisons for itself. 



XLIX. The seal also resembles the beaver both Theseai. 

 in its amphibious habits and in its nature. It gets 

 rid of its gall, which is useful for many drugs, by 

 vomiting it up, and also its rennet, a cure for epileptic 



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