56 History of Nature. [BOOK VIII. 



terrible ; for he will bite down the Trees by the River-sides, 

 as if they were cut with an Axe ; and when he catcheth hold 

 of a Man, he never letteth loose his Bite until he have heard 

 the broken Bone crack. The Tail of this Creature is like a 

 Fish, but otherwise he resembleth the Otter. 1 Both these 

 Animals live in the Water, and their Hair is softer than the 

 Down of Feathers. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

 Of Frogs, Sea- Calves, and Stelliones. 



THE Frogs called Rubetae, 2 which live both on Land and 

 in Moisture, yield many Medicines. It is said that they lay 

 aside these Medicines, reserving only to themselves the Poi- 

 son ; and when they have taken their Food, they resume 

 the same again. The Sea-Calf 3 likewise feedeth both in the 

 Sea and upon the Land ; and hath the same Habits with the 

 Beaver. He vomiteth up his Gall, which is good for many 

 Medicines ; and so he doth his Runnet, which is a Remedy 

 for the Epilepsy : for he is well aware, that Men seek after 

 him for these two Things. Theophrastus writeth, that the Stel- 

 liones 4 cast off their old Coat as Snakes do ; but they imme- 

 diately eat it up again, and so prevent Men from obtaining 

 the Remedies for the Epilepsy. He reporteth that their 

 biting in Greece is deadly ; but in Sicily harmless. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

 OfDeers. 



To the Deer, 5 also, though he is amongst the gentlest of 

 Animals, belongs a Degree of Malevolence. If he be over- 

 driven by Hounds, then willingly he hath recourse to Man. 

 Likewise, the Hinds, when they are about to calve, choose 



1 Lib. xxxii. 11. 2 Lib. xxxii. 5. 3 Lib. xi. 40. 



4 Lib. xi. 26. 



5 Cervus ElepJias. LTNN. The Red Deer. Pliny, in this chapter, 

 describes the Elephas of Aristotle, which is, doubtless, the common stag, 

 or red deer, and was well known to the ancients. Wern. Club. 



