CURIOUS CREATURES. 77 



the Dragon, or Sea calves ; so then, we wil take it for 

 graunted, by the testimony of holy Scripture, that there 

 is such a beast as this Cristostinius. Dion also writeth 

 that there are such beasts in some parts of Libia, having 

 a Woman's face, and very beautifull, also very large 

 and comely shapes on their breasts, such as cannot be 

 counterfeited by the art of any painter, having a very 

 excellent colour in their fore parts, without wings, and 

 no other voice but hissing like Dragons : they are the 



swiftest of foote of all earthly beasts, so as none can 

 escape them by running, for, by their celerity, they com- 

 passe their prey of beastes, and by their fraud they over- 

 throw men. For when they see a man, they lay open 

 their breastes, and by the beauty thereof, entice them to 

 come neare to conference, and so, having them within 

 their compasse, they devoure and kill them. 



" Unto the same things subscribe Ccelius and Giraldus, 

 adding also, that there is a certaine crooked place in 



