PLINY THE ELDER. 87 



believed that in the tail of this animal there is a 

 minute hair possessing a power over love, and that 

 the wolf casts it when he is taken ; but that it has 

 no efficacy unless it be plucked from him when 

 alive. Wolves pair only during twelve days in the 

 whole year. When famished, they eat earth. With 

 respect to auguries, when one meets a wolf, and the 

 latter turns to the right hand, especially if he have 

 a full mouth, there could not be a better presage. 

 There are some of this kind that are called stag- 

 wolves, such as the one mentioned by us as having 

 been seen in the circus of Pompey the Great. The}^ 

 say that this animal, however hungry he may be, 

 should he happen to look back, forgets the food 

 which he had, and goes to look for some elsewhere. 



The following extract from Pliny's account of the 

 lion, '' right pleasaunte" as it is in the original, is 

 rendered still more so by Dr Holland. " To come 

 againe to our lions: the signe of their intent and 

 disposition, is their taile ; like as in horses, their 

 ears : for these two marks and tokens, certainly hath 

 nature given to the most couragious beasts of all 

 others, to know their affections by: for when the 

 lion stirreth not his taile, hee is in a good mood, 

 gentle, mild, pleasantly disposed, and as if hee were 

 willing to be plaied withall ; but in that fit he is 

 seldome scene : for lightly hee is alwaies angrie. At 

 the first, when hee entreth into his choller, hee 

 beateth the ground with his taile : when hee groweth 

 into greater heats, he flappeth and jerketh his sides 

 and flanks withall, as it were to quicken himselfe, 

 and stirre up his angry humor. His maine strength 

 lieth in his breast : heemaketh not a wound (whether 

 it be by lash of taile, scratch of claw, or print of 



