CURIOUS CREATURES. 69 



of spider. It is a thing still more remarkable, that in 

 this island there are no stags, except in the district of 

 Cydon ; the same is the case with the wild boar, the 

 woodcock, and the hedgehog." 



He further tells us of animals which will injure 

 strangers only, as also animals which injure the natives 

 only. 



" There are certain animals which are harmless to the 

 natives of the country, but destroy strangers ; such as 

 the little serpents at Tirynthus, which are said to spring 

 out of the earth. In Syria, also, and especially on the 

 banks of the Euphrates, the serpents never attack the 

 Syrians when they are asleep, and even if they happen 

 to bite a native who treads upon them, their venom is 

 not felt ; but to persons of any other country they are 

 extremely hostile, and fiercely attack them, causing a 

 death attended with great torture. On this account the 

 Syrians never kill them. On the contrary, on Latmos, 

 a mountain of Caria, as Aristotle tells us, strangers 

 are not injured by the scorpions, while the natives are 

 killed by them." 



He also throws some curious light, unknown to 

 modern zoologists, on the antipathies of animals one to 

 another. He says : "There will be no difficulty in per- 

 ceiving that animals are possessed of other instincts 

 besides those previously mentioned. In fact, there are 

 certain antipathies, and sympathies among them, which 

 give rise to various affections, besides those which we 

 have mentioned in relation to each species, in its appro- 

 priate place. The Swan and the Eagle are always at 

 variance, and the Raven and the Chloreus seek each 

 other's eggs by night. In a similar manner, also, the 

 Raven and the Kite are perpetually at war with one 



