BOOK VIII. Lxx. 176-180 



same yeai*. It is said that if the bulls after coupling 

 go away towards the right hand side the offspring 

 will be males, and if towards the left, females. 

 Conception is effected by one coupUng, and if this 

 happens to miss, the female goes to a male again 

 twenty days after. They bear the calf in the tenth 

 month ; one produced before is of no use. Some 

 authorities say that they bear on the actual last day 

 of the tenth month. They rarely produce twins. 

 Couphng takes place in the thirty days foUowing 

 the rise of the Dolphin on January 4, and occasionally 

 in the autumn also, though nations that Uve on milk 

 spread it out so that there may be a supply of this 

 nutriment at every season of the year. BuUs do 

 not couple more than twice in one day. Oxen are 

 the only animals that graze even while walking 

 backward ; indeed among the Garamantes that is 

 their only way of grazing. The longest Ufe of a cow 

 Is 15 years and of a buU 20 ; they grow to fuU strength 

 at 5. Washing in hot water is said to fatten them, 

 and also cutting a hole in the hide and blowing air 

 into the flesh with a reed. Even the breeds less 

 praised for their appearance are not to be deemed 

 inferior : the Alpine cows which are the smallest in 

 size give most milk, and do most work, although they 

 are yoked by the head and not the neck. Syrian 

 oxen have no dewlaps, but a hump on the back. 

 Also the Carian breed in a district of Asia is said to 

 be ugly in appearance, with a sweUing that projects 

 from the neck over the shouldei-s and with the horns 

 displaced,but exceUent inwork — aUhough when black 

 and white in colour they are said to be no good for 

 ploughing ; the buUs have smaUer and thinner horns 

 than the cows. Oxen should be broken when three 



125 



