] 6 History of Nature. [ BOOK VIII. 



of cross Wrinkles, and its Smell attracts this kind of Crea- 

 tures. And therefore when they are stretched along, and 

 perceive the Swarms settled on their Skin, suddenly they 

 draw those Crevices close together, and crush them to death. 

 This serves them instead of Tail, Mane, and long Hair. 

 Their Teeth bear a very high Price, and their Substance is 

 of greatest request for the Images of the Gods : but Luxury 

 hath devised another Thing in them to commend ; for they 

 find a particular Taste (vim) in the hard Substance of (that 

 which they call) their Hand : for no other reason (I believe) 

 but because they have a Conceit that they eat the Ivory 

 itself. In Temples are to be seen Teeth of the greatest Size ; 

 but in the remote Parts of Africa where it bordereth on 

 Ethiopia, they stand in the Place of Corner-posts of their 

 Houses ; and with the Elephants' Teeth they make Hedges 

 and Pales, as well to enclose their Grounds, as also to keep 

 their Cattle within Stalls, as PolyHus reporteth, from the 

 Testimony of the petty King Gulussa. 



CHAPTER XI. 



Where Elephants are bred ; and of the Disagreement between 

 them and the Dragons. 1 



ELEPHANTS are bred in that Part of Africa which lieth 

 beyond the Deserts of the Syrtes, and also in Mauritania : 

 they are found also among the Ethiopians and Troglodites, 

 as hath been said : 2 but India produceth the biggest : as also 

 the Dragons, which are continually at variance and fighting 

 with them ; and those of such Greatness, that they can easily 

 clasp round the Elephants, 3 and tie them fast with a Knot. 



1 For the Dragons, see 1 3th chap. Wern. Club. 



3 Lib. viii. c. 8. Wem. Club. 



3 .ZElian (B. vi. c. 21) says, that these dragons conceal themselves 

 among the branches of trees, from which they hang dependent, watching 

 for their prey. When the elephants approach to feed on the branches, 

 the enemy seizes them about the eyes, twines itself about the neck, and 

 lashes them with its tail, in which manner they fall down strangled. 

 Wern. Club. 



