Natural Hiftory of the Ancients. 109 



celebrated fuperftition among the ancients, the 

 bippomanes. " When a foal is born," he fays, 

 " the mother immediately bites off a growth upon 

 its forehead, which is a little lefs than a fig in fize, 

 and is broad, circular, and black. If anyone is 

 beforehand in obtaining this, and the mare fhould 

 fmell it, me is befide herfelf and maddened with 

 its odour. Hence forcereffes feek for and collect 

 it as a charm/' 1 And he adds, " The horfe feems 

 to be eminently an animal fond of its young ; thus, 

 when mares have lived together, if one dies the 

 reft cherim its foal, and often the barren ones 

 themfelves cherim thefe foals, but by reafon of 

 having no milk kill them." Pliny evidently had 

 Ariftotle's book before him, but adds a multitude 

 of fables, as his wont is, to the Stagyrite's common- 

 fenfe. Thus Caefar's horfe would fuffer no one 

 but its mafter to mount it, and was notable for its 

 forelegs ending in human feet. It was honoured 

 with a gorgeous tomb, while at Agrigentum 

 pyramids were erected as memorials of many 

 horfes. The great Semiramis was in love with a 

 horfe. The Scythian cavalry was famous; and 

 on one occafion, when a chieftain was killed, his 

 horfe fell with tooth and hoof upon the victor and 

 flew him. Such is the docility of the horfe, that 

 all the cavalry of Sybaris was taught to dance to 

 the found of a meafure. It muffs the battle afar 

 off, and mourns its loft lord, fometimes even with 

 tears. Nay, when King Nicomedes died his horfe 

 ftarved itfelf to death. When Dionyfius left his 

 1 Arift., " Hift. Animalium," vi. 22, 6 and ix. 5. 



