CYXEGETICA, III. 340-364 



Next let us sing the Tiger <• of glorious form, than 

 which cunning nature has vouchsafed naught more 

 pleasant for the eyes to behold amid the great 

 company of wild beasts. As much doth the Tiger 

 excel among wild beasts as the Peacock doth for 

 beauty among the fowls of air. Every way like a 

 lioness of the hills wouldst thou behold it, apart only 

 from the hide, which is variegated, with darkling 

 stripes and brilliant sheen. Like are the eyes that 

 lighten with fiery flash beneath the brows ; like the 

 body, strong and fleshy ; like the long and bushy 

 tail ; like the face about the mouth ; like the 

 frowning brows above ; hke the gleaming teeth. 

 Swifter ** is it than all wild beasts that are ; for it runs 

 with speed like its sire, the West Wind <= himself. 

 Yet the West Wind is not its sire ; who would believe 

 that wild beasts mated with an airy bridegroom ? 

 For that also is an empty tale, that all this tribe is 

 female and mates not with a male ; for often mightst 

 thou see its handsome spouse of many colours, but 

 not easily couldst thou capture him ; for he leaves 

 his young "^ and flees amain when he descries the 

 hunters ; but the female follows her cubs and in the 

 anguish of her heart- -to the great joy of the hunters 

 — comes straight to the nets. 



Eminent among warUke wild beasts is the Boar.* 



■* Plin. l.r. ubi vacuum cubile reperit feta, maribus enim 

 subolis cura non est, fertur praeceps odore vestigans. 



' Sus scrof a, ^l.G. dypioxoipoSfdypioyovpovvo. The Wild Boar 

 is still pretty common in the mountainous parts of Attica, 

 Euboea, and N. Greece, and occurs, though it has become 

 rare, in the Peloponnesus (Bik. p. 15). It does not occur 

 in the Cyclades, though feral Swine are found (Erh. p. 26). 

 It is verv common in Palestine (Tristr. p. 54) ; cf. A. 

 571 b 13;'5T8a25; Plin. viii. il-2 ; Ael. v. 45 ; Xen. C. 10. 



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