82 History of Nature. [BooK VIII. 



World, those that come out of Epirus are most commended; 

 and they report that they were much attended to by King 

 Pyrrhus, who would not suffer them to breed before they 

 were four Years old. Therefore they were of great Size; 

 and so they continue in their Posterity to this Day. In the 

 present Day, however, they are permitted to breed when 

 /hey are one Year old, or at most two; which is more tole- 

 rable. Bulls are generative when they are four Years old ; 

 and one is a sufficient Companion for ten Cows through the 

 Year. If a Bull, after Copulation, go away toward the right 

 Hand, he hath gotten a male Calf; hut if to the left, a Cow 

 Calf. Cows are fertile at the first ; but if it chance that 

 they fail, the twentieth Day after they again seek their Fel- 

 low. In the tenth Month they calve ; and whatever cometh 

 before that Term is worth nothing. Some write that they 

 calve just upon the last Day of the tenth Month complete. 

 They seldom bring forth two Calves at a Time. Their Time 

 of Propagation continueth thirty Days from the rising of the 

 Dolphin to the Day before the Nones of January ; but some 

 propagate in Autumn. Indeed, in those Countries where the 

 People live on Milk, they order the Matter so, that they are 

 not without this Food all the Year long. Bulls do not serve 

 above two Cows in one Day. Oxen alone of all Animals go 

 backward as they feed ; and among the Garamantsb they 

 scarcely ever feed otherwise. Cows live riot above fifteen 

 Years at the most ; but the Males come to twenty. They are 

 in their full Strength when five Years old. It is said they will 

 grow fat if they are bathed with hot Water ; or if a Man slit 

 their Hide, and with a Reed blow Wind into their Entrails. 

 Oxen are not to be despised as defective, although they may 

 look but ill-fa vouredly ; for in the Alps those that, are least 

 of Body are the best for Milk. And the best labouring 

 Oxen are they which are yoked by the Head, and not the 

 Neck. In Syria they have no Dewlaps, but a Bunch stand- 

 ing on the Back. They of Caria also, a Country in Asia, 

 are ill-favoured to be seen, having between their Necks and 

 Shoulders a projecting Tumour ; and their Horns are loose, 

 as if out of Joint; and yet by Report, tbev are excellent for 



