Chap. 9o.] ANTIPATHIES OE ANIMALS. 551 



variaIlc^, and the raven and the chloreus'' seek each other's 

 eggs hy night. In a similar manner, also, the raven and the 

 kite are perpetually at war with one another, the one carry- 

 ing off the other's food. So, too, there are antipathies between 

 the crow and the owl, the eagle and the trochilus ;* — between 

 the last two, if we are to believe the story, because the latter 

 has receiyed the title of the "king of the birds:" the same, 

 again, with the owlet and aU the smaller birds. 



Again, in relation to the terrestrial animals, the weasel is at 

 enmity with the crow, the turtle-dove with the pjrrallis," the 

 ichneumon with the wasp, and the phalangium with other 

 spiders. Among aquatic animals, there is enmity between the 

 duck and the sea-mew, the falcon known as the " harpe," and 

 the hawk called the " triorchis." In a similar manner, too, the 

 shrew-mouse and the heron are ever on the watch for each 

 other's young ; and the segithus,*' so small a bird as it is, has 

 an antipathy to the ass ; for the latter, when scratching itself, 

 rubs its body against the brambles, and so crushes the bird's 

 nest ; a thing of which it stands in such dread, that if it only 

 hears the voice of the ass when it brays, it will throw its eggs 

 out of the nest, and the young ones themselves will sometimes 

 fall to the ground in their ftight ; hence it is that it will fly at 

 the ass, and peck at its sores with its beak. The fox, too, is at 

 war with the nisus,** and serpents with weasels and swine. 

 jEsalon** is the name given to a small bird that breaks the eggs 

 of the raven, and the young of which are anxiously sought by 

 the fox ; while in its turn it will peck at the young of the fox, 

 and even the parent itself. As soon as the ravens espy this, 

 they come to its assistance, as though against a common enemy. 

 The acanthis, too, lives among the brambles ; hence it is that 

 it also has an antipathy to the ass, because it devours the 

 bramble blossoms. The aegithus and the anthus,® too, are at 

 such mortal enmity with each other, that it is the common 

 belief that their blood will not mingle ; and it is for this reason 

 that they have the bad repute of being employed in many magi- 



" Probably the chlorion of c. 45. 

 '" Supposed to be the golden-crested wren. 



'' An insect. See B. xi. c. 42, if, indeed, this is the same that is there 

 mentioned, which is somewhat doubtful. 

 ^ It is not known what bird is meant : perhaps the titmouse. 

 *' A kind of hawk or falcon. " Species unknown. 



'^ Probably the spring wag-taU. 



