12 CURIOUS CREATURES. 



of their charms, in form of commendations, can cause 

 cattle to perish, trees to wither, and infants to die. 

 Isigonus adds, that there are, among the Triballi, and 

 the Illyrii, some persons of this description, who, also, 

 have the power of fascination with the eyes, and can 

 even kill those on whom they fix their gaze for any 

 length of time, more especially if their look denotes 

 anger : the age of puberty is said to be particularly 

 obnoxious to the malign influence of such persons. 



A still more remarkable circumstance is, the fact that 

 these persons have two pupils in each eye. Apollonides 

 says, that there are certain females of this description in 

 Scythia, who are known as Bythiae, and Phylarcus states 

 that a tribe of the Thibii in Pontus, and many other per- 

 sons as well, have a double pupil in one eye, and in the 

 other the figure of a horse. He also remarks, that the 

 bodies of these persons will not sink in water, even 

 though weighed down by their garments. Damon gives 

 an account of a race of people, not very much unlike 

 them, the Pharnaces of ./Ethiopia, whose perspiration is 

 productive of consumption to the body of every person 

 that it touches. Cicero also, one of our own writers, 

 makes the remark, that the glance of all women who have 

 a double pupil is noxious. 



To this extent, then, has nature, when she pro- 

 duced in man, in common with the wild beasts, a taste 

 for human flesh, thought fit to produce poisons as well 

 in every part of his body, and in the eyes of some 

 persons, taking care that there shall be no evil influence 

 in existence, which was not to be found in the human 

 body. Not far from Rome, in the territory of the 

 Falisci, a few families are found, who are known by the 

 name of Hirpi. These people perform a yearly sacrifice 



