62 History of Nature. [BooK VIII. 



somewhat longer than the others, and differing in being 

 shorter legged, swift in leaping, living by Chace, without 

 doing any Harm to Man, change their Habit, not their 

 Colour ; through the Winter being Shaggy, but in Summer 

 naked. The Tarandus is as big as an Ox, with a Head not un- 

 like a Stag's, but greater; the Horns branched, cloven-hoofed, 

 and the Hair as deep as in the Bear. The Hide of his Back 

 is so hard, that they make Breast- plates of it. He taketh 

 the Colour of all Trees, Shrubs, Plants, Flowers, and Places 

 in which he lieth when he retireth for Fear ; and therefore 

 he is seldom caught ; but when he likes to be in his own 

 Colour, he resembleth an Ass. It is strange that the bare 

 Body should alter into so many Colours ; but more strange 

 that the Hair also should so change. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

 Of the Hystrix. 



THE Hystrix 1 is produced in India and Africa, and is a 

 kind of Hedgehog. The Spines of the Hystrix are longer 

 than those of the Hedgehog ; and when he stretcheth his Skin 

 he shooteth them from him ; when the Hounds press hard 

 upon him, he fixeth them in their Mouths, and darteth them 

 at them when farther off. In the Winter Months he lieth 

 hid, as it is the Nature of many Beasts to do, and the Bears 

 above the rest. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

 Of Bears 2 and their Young. 



THEY couple in the beginning of Winter, and not after 

 the common Manner of four-footed Beasts, but lying both 



1 Hystrix cristata. LINN. The Porcupine. Aristotle merely glances 

 at the power which this animal was thought to possess of shooting its 

 quills to a distance at its enemies. But Pliny here dwells upon it with 

 his usual love of the marvellous : and JSlian, Oppian, and Claudian have 

 repeated the tale with exaggerations. Wern. Club. 



3 Ursus Arctos. LINN. The Brown Bear. Wern. Club. 



