i 4 6 CURIOUS CREATURES. 



bred in India, and Syria, neere the River Euphrates, and 

 delight much to drinke of the cold water thereof. Their 

 bodie is like the body of a Roe, and they have homes 

 growing forthe of the crowne of their head, which are 

 very long and sharpe ; so that Alexander affirmed that 

 they pierced through the sheeldes of his Souldiers, and 

 fought with them very irefully : at which time his com- 

 pany slew as he travelled to India, eight thousand, five 

 hundred, and fifty ; which great slaughter may be the 

 occasion why they are so rare, and seldome scene to 

 this day, by cause thereby the breeders, and meanes of 

 their continuance (which consisted in their multitude) 

 were weakened and destroyed. Their homes are great, 

 and made like a saw, and they, with them, can cut 

 asunder the braunches of Osier, or small trees, whereby 

 it commeth to passe that many times their necks are 

 taken in the twists of the falling boughes, whereat the 

 Beast with repining cry, bewrayeth himselfe to the 

 Hunters, and so is taken. The vertues of this Beast 

 are unknowne, and therefore Suidas sayth an Antalope 

 is but good in part." 



THE HORSE. 



Aldrovandus gives us a curious specimen of a horse, 

 which the artist has drawn with the slashed trunk 

 breeches of the time. He says that Fincclius, quoting 

 Licosthenes, mentions that this animal had its skin thus 

 slashed, from its birth, and was to be seen about the 

 year 1555. Its skin was as thick as sole-leather. It 

 was, probably, an ideal Zebra. 



Topsell gives us some fine horse-lore, especially as 

 to their love for their masters : " Homer seemeth also 



