ANIMAL. | NATURAL HISTORY. 9 
distinct between [i.e., separate]. The outer limbs thereof be 
as it were the outer limbs of a lion, and his tail is like to 
a wild scorpion with a sting, and amiferh with hard bristle- 
pricks as a wild swine, and hath an horrible voice as the 
voice of a trump, and he runneth full swiftly, and eateth 
men. And among all beasts of the earth is none found 
more cruel nor more wonderly shapen. 
The dolphin and other manner of fish fall to the bottom 
suddenly, as it were in epilepsy, when they hear sudden 
thundering, or great moving and noise, and be taken as they 
were drunk. And fish fleeth and voideth the place of wash- 
ing and slaughter of other fish, and the blood of other fish, 
and flee and void also hoary and unclean nets; and come 
gladly into new. 
The female bear bringeth forth a’ lump of flesh not di- 
vided by shape of members; and she keepeth that lump 
hot under her arm-pits as the hen sitteth on her eggs. 
And the female bear licketh that lump of flesh and shapeth 
it some and some, until it receive perfect figure and shape 
of a bear. Also the panther and the lioness bringeth forth 
whelps but not complete nor perfectly shapen. In all beasts 
that bring children forth uncomplete and unperfect, the 
cause is gluttony, for if kind would abide unto they were 
complete and perfect, the children would slay the mother 
with sucking, for immoderate and over-passing appetite. 
Fish in one month waxeth fat, and soon afterward wax 
lean. And some waxeth fat in the northern wind, as fish 
with long bodies, and some in southern wind, as fish with 
broad bodies, and some in rain-time. Rafn-water accordeth 
to all manner shell-fish, out-take[n] the fish that hight 
Roitera [or Koytea—an unidentified class of fish], that dieth 
in the same day, if he taste rain-water. And too much 
rain-water grieveth some fish, for it blindeth them. 
Some beasts be ordained for man’s mirth, as apes and 
marmosets and popinjays; and some be made for exercitation 
of man, for man should know his own infirmities and 
the might of God. And therefore be made flies and lice; 
and lions and tigers and bears be made that man may by 
the first know his own infirmity, and be afeard of the 
second. Also some beasts be made to relieve and help the 
need of many manner infirmities of mankind—as the flesh 
of the adder to make treacle. Wolves flee from him that is 
