CYNEGETICA, III. 179-199 



rocks and devour their own tentacles ; but when 

 spring blooms, moist and fertile, new arms speedily 

 grow for them again and once again with fair array 

 of suckers they sail the long path of the sea. 



Next in order let us tell of the Wild Ass," well- 

 ankled, swift as air, fleet-footed * like the ^\ind, 

 strong-hoofed, and tall. Bright is he of eye, strong 

 of body, broad to behold, silver}^ of colour, long- 

 eared, most swift to run. About the middle of his 

 back is set a black stripe, surrounded on either side 

 by snowy bands. He eats hay " and the grass- 

 growing earth feeds him abundantly : but he himself 

 is good food for mighty wild beasts. The tribes of 

 the wind-footed Wild Asses are altogether prone to 

 jealousy and they glory in many Avives and plume 

 themselves thereon. The females follow whereso- 

 ever the husband leads : they haste to the pasture 

 when he wills to bid them, and, when he bids, to 

 the river springs, the wild beasts' wine, and anon 

 to their bosky homes when evening brings sleep. A 

 fierce and shameless frenzy stirs jealousy <* in all the 

 males against their oAvn young sons. For when the 

 female is in the travail of Eileithyia, the male sits 



xvi. 29 ; xiv. 10 ; xvii. 31 ; Verg. G. iii. 409 ; Mart. xiii. 97 

 and 100. Hunting of, Amra, M. xxiii. 4.. 7 ; PoU. v. 84 ; 

 Ridgeway, pp. 43 f. 



* A. 5S0 b 4 eicrl S' Sicrirep ol tvoi oi iypioi Kal at tj/uovoi Trjv 



TaXVTTjTO. Sia<pipOVT€S. 



" Job vi. 5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass ? 

 Cf. ibid. xxiv. 5. 



'* Soliii. xxvii. -27 Inter ea quae dicunt herbatica eadera 

 Africa onagros habet, in quo genere singuli imperitant 

 gregibus feminanira. Aeraulos Hbidinis metuunt. Inde est 

 quod gravidas suas servant, ut in editis raaribus si qua 

 facultas fuerit generandi si>era morsn detruncent, quod 

 caventes feminae in secessibus partus occulunt. 



K 129 



