66 History of Nature. [ BoOK VIII. 



that they cannot be laid hold of but by their Spines. In the 

 last Extremity 1 they let their Water go; and this Fluid hath 

 a poisonous Quality to rot their Skin and Spine, for which 

 they know that they are chased and taken. And therefore 

 it is a point of Skill not to hunt them before it is ascertained 

 that they have let their Urine go, and then their Skin is 

 very good ; but otherwise it is rotten and weak : all the 

 Spines falling off as being putrified, even though they should 

 escape and continue alive. And this is the Cause that they 

 never drench themselves with this Mischief except in the 

 last Hope, for they cannot endure the Smell of their own 

 Poison, and they do what they can to spare themselves, 

 reserving it for the utmost time of Extremity, so that they are 

 ready to be taken before they do it. The Ball into which this 

 Creature forms itself is compelled to open by sprinkling it 

 with warm Water, and then by hanging it up by one of its hind 

 Feet ; it then dies with Famine and Suspension ; for otherwise 

 it is not possible to kill them and save their Skin. Many do 

 not hesitate to say, that this Animal contributes no good to 

 human Life, except those Spines ; and that the soft Fleece of 

 Wool that Sheep bear without them would have been be- 

 stowed upon Mankind in vain: for with this Skin 2 Garments 

 are polished. Fraud hath gotten great Gain by the Mono- 

 poly of this Commodity ; although there hath not been any 

 one Evil against which there have been more frequent Acts 

 of the Senate ; and almost every Prince hath been troubled 

 concerning it with grievous Complaints out of the Provinces. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

 Of the Leontophonos, Lynx, Meles, Sciurus. 



THERE are two other kinds of Animals whose Urine 

 worketh remarkable Effects. We have undertaken to call 



1 This strange assertion, in which Pliny has been followed by his 

 numerous plagiarists, and amongst them by Buffon, appears at least to be 

 unsupported by later observation, and is probably a mere fiction. Wcrn. 

 Club. 



2 Or, rather, instead of teazels that shearmen use. 



