BOOK VIII.] 



History of Nature. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



Of Lynxes and Sphinges; ofCro- 

 cutce, CercopitheccBj Indian 

 Oxen, JLeucrocutce, Eale ; 

 Ethiopian Bulls, the Manti- 

 chora, Monoceros, Catoblepa, 

 the Basilisca. 



LYNXES are common; 1 and 

 so are Sphinges: 2 with brown- 

 ish Hair, and two Breasts on 

 their Chests (pectus). Ethiopia 

 produceth them, and many other 

 similar monstrous Beasts, as 

 Horses with Wings, and armed 

 with Horns, which they call 

 Pegasi. 3 Also Crocutse, 4 which appear as if begotten between 



T. Q. Couch. From Montf. torn. iii. pi. 17 



1 Felis Caracal. LINN. The Caracal. Bennet (" Tower Menage- 

 ries,") thinks that the Caracal is unquestionably identical with the lynx 

 of the ancients, though the name has been usurped in modern times for 

 an animal of northern origin, utterly unknown to the Greeks, and known 

 to the Romans by a totally different appellation. But although it is 

 generally agreed that the Caracal is the lynx of the ancients, it is to be 

 observed that they use the term to denote various animals; and particu- 

 larly in the case of the animal accorded to Bacchus as one of his attri- 

 butes, they seem to have had no precise idea respecting it. The terms, 

 Lynx, Panther, and Tiger, seem to be all employed to designate this 

 animal, or these animals. Wern. Club. 



3 The term " Sphinx," which Dr. Holland translated " Marmozet," 

 was undoubtedly used to designate some species of Simia, but what sort 

 it does not seem possible to determine. Wern. Club. 



3 Pliny has, on more than one occasion, manifested an inclination to 

 regard as real the fabulous creations of the heathen mythology. But 

 modern inquiry has failed to discover either the Pegasus, the Syren, or 

 the Mantichora, the latter, an imaginary monster, mentioned also by 

 Aristotle ("Hist. Anim." Book ii. ch. 11); by Pausanias (Lib. ix.); by 

 vElian (c. iv. 21), and by Ctesias, " Apud Photium." Wern. Club. 



4 Canis Hycena. LINN. The Striped Hyaena. The most monstrous 

 fables were rife among the ancients respecting this animal. It would be a 

 waste of time and space to enumerate all the wonderful powers that were 



