PARTS OF ANIMALS, III. ii. 



rendering adequate defence. Most of the cloven- 

 hoofed animals, and some of the solid-hoofed, have 

 horns, as weapons of offence ; some have horns for 

 self-defence, as those animals which have not been 

 given means of safety and self-defence of a different 

 order — the speed, for instance, which Nature has 

 given to horses, or the enormous size which camels 

 have (and elephants even more), which is sufficient 

 to prevent them from being destroyed by other 

 animals. Some, hoAvever, have tusks, for instance 

 swine, although they are cloven-hoofed. 



In some animals the horns are a useless appendage," 

 and to these Nature has given an additional means 

 of defence. Deer have been given speed (because 

 the size of their horns and the numerous branches 

 are more of a nuisance to them than a help). So 

 have the antelopes and the gazelles, which, although 

 they Avdthstand some attackers and defend them- 

 selves with their horns, run away from really fierce 

 fighters. The Bonasus,*" whose horns curve inwards 

 to meet each other, protects itself Avhen frightened 

 by the discharge of its excrement. There are other 

 animals that protect themselves in the same way. 

 Nature, however, has not given more than one 

 adequate means of protection to any one animal. 



Most of the horned animals are cloven-hoofed, 

 though there is said to be one that is solid-hoofed, 

 the Indian Ass,*' as it is called. 



The great majority of horned animals have two 

 horns, just as, in respect of the parts by which 

 its movement is effected, the body is divided 

 into two — the right and the left. And the 



of it comes from the Indica of Ktesias of Knidos, quoted in 

 Photius's Bibliotheca, Ixxii. pp. 48 b 19 (Bekker) foil. 



Η 219 



