r6o CURIOUS CREATURES. 



a lion, the head of a badger, a cloven hoof, the mouth 

 slit up as far as the ears, and one continuous bone in- 

 stead of teeth ; it is said, too, that this animal can imitate 

 the human voice. 



" Among the same people there is found an animal 

 called the eale ; it is the size of the river-horse, has 

 the tail of the elephant, and is of a black or tawny 

 colour. It has, also, the jaws of the wild boar and 

 horns that are moveable, and more than a cubit in 

 length, so that, in fighting, it can employ them alternately, 

 and vary their position by presenting them directly, or 

 obliquely, according as necessity may dictate." 



The Eale, with its movable horns, is run hard by 

 the Cattle of the Lotophagi, which are thus described by 

 Herodotus : " From the Augilae at the end of another 

 ten days' journey is another hill of salt and water, and 

 many fruit-bearing palm trees, as also in other places ; 

 and men inhabit it, who are called Gavamantes, a very 

 powerful nation ; they lay earth upon the salt, and then 

 sow their ground. From these to the Lotophagi, the 

 shortest route is a journey of thirty days : amongst them 

 the kine that feed backwards are met with ; they feed 

 backwards for this reason. They have horns that 

 are bent forward, therefore they draw back as they 

 feed ; for they are unable to go forward, because their 

 horns would stick in the ground. They differ from 

 other kine in no other respect than this, except that their 

 hide is thicker and harder." 



ANIMAL MEDICINE. 



We have already seen some of the wonderfully cura- 

 tive properties of animals let us learn something of 



