BOOK VIII.] History of Nature. 51 



a crooked Bill, useth it to squirt Water through that Part 

 through which it is most healthy to discharge the Burdens of 

 Meat. Neither have dumb Creatures directed us to these 

 Practices only, which might serve for use to Man. For 

 Deers 1 first showed us the Virtue of the Herb Dictarnnus 2 to 

 draw out Arrows. Being shot with that Dart, with feeding 

 on this Herb it is driven out again. The same Creatures 

 being also stung by the Phalangium, 3 a kind of Spider, or 

 any of like Nature, cure themselves by eating Cray-fishes. 4 



There is an Herb called Calaminth, 5 of remarkable Effi- 

 cacy against the biting of Serpents ; with the Application of 

 which the Lizards, when they have fought with them, cure 

 their Wounds. 



The Swallows taught us the Usefulness ^ 

 of Chelidonia 6 for the Eyesight; for with 

 it they heal t their young Ones when their Eyes 

 are injured. 



The Tortoise, 7 by eating Cunila, which is 

 also called Bubula, reneweth his Powers against 

 Serpents. Mont/, tom. i. pi. 84. 



The Weasel useth Rue 8 when he purposeth to hunt for 

 Rats, in case he should fight with any of them. 



The Stork goeth to the Herb Origanum for a Remedy; 

 and the Boar, when he is sick, is his own Physician, by 

 eating Ivy and Crabs, such especially as the Sea casteth 

 on Shore. 



The Snake, 9 by lying still all the Winter, hath a Mem- 

 brane growing over the Body; but with the Juice of Fennel 

 she throweth off that Incumbrance, and appeareth fresh and 

 elegant again. She beginneth to throw it off first at the 

 Head ; and she is so slow as to occupy a whole Day and a 

 Night in folding it backward, before the Inside of the Mem- 



1 Lib. viii. 32. 2 Lib. xxv. 8. 3 Lib. xi. 24. 



4 Lib. ix. 50, 51. 4 That is, the Condrillon. Lib. xxii. 22. 



6 Lib. xxv. 8, 12. The juice of Chelidonium majus, diluted with milk, 

 is said to consume white opaque spots on the eyes. Wern. Club. 



7 Lib. xx. 16. 8 Lib. xx. 13. 9 Lib. xx. 23. 



