PlimcsNaturallHiftorie. 217 



A of viduals befoie-hand wliicfe they gather together and card? into their hples. Andfpme fayi 

 when the male or female isjo^en with grafle andhearbs, as much as it can cQmprehcnd within 

 all the four* IcggtSj it lieth upon the backt with the faid proyifign upon xlieit bell;c.s, and then 

 commeth the other^ and taketh old by the taile with the mouthy and dfasiveth the fejlp)^. into the 

 earth : thus doe they one by the other.in turnes : and hereupqnit is^ that aUtbfJttiraetheir.backs 

 arebarejand the hair»worne off. Such likpMarmotanes therebein iEgypt^^S^inthefaipe man- 

 ner they fit ordinarily upon their buttock&,.and upon their two hinder leer jheygc^^uringthei^ 

 Jbre-feetinftead of hands. ^i-^i; . . ; . - ^ ' • 



Hedgehog^alfo make tbeii: proyifion before-hand of meatfor wi^i^tej/iiiibis vvjfe^ ^al- 

 low and roll themfelves upon apples and fucb fruit lying.under fopt, andfocatch ihci}j i^p. with 



« y their prickles,and one more befides they take in their moudi^Si fo carrietli^^n into hollow trees. 

 By flopping one or other of their holes jmen know when the wind turn,qtl\ apdis changedfro,n>. 

 North CO South. When they perceive one hunting of them, they draw.iheir.mouth&k€t clofe. 

 togither^with all their belly partj where the skin hath a thin down & no pncks at all to do harme^ 

 and fo roll themfelves as round as a fooirhallj that neither dog nor man can come by any thing 

 but their fharpe-pointed prickles.So foon as they (ee themfelves paft all hope to efcapc, they kc 

 their water go and pifle upon themfelves. Now this urineof thciirs hath a poifonous quaiitie to 

 rot their skm and prickles/or which they know well enough that they b^ chafed and taken. And 

 therfore if is a fecret and a fpccial pollicie, not to hunt them before they have le c thcii; urine go 5 

 andrhen their skin is veriegood^ for which chiefly they a re hunted rotherwife it is naught ever 



P afterandforottenjthatitwiilnothangtogiiherjbutfall inpeeces: aifihep^^^ asbe- 

 ing putrifiedj yea although they fhould efcape away from the dogs and Hve ftill : and this is the 

 cauie that they never bepifle and drench themfelves with this peftiknt excrement, but in extre- 

 ^ mitie and utter defpaire; for they cannot abide themfelves dieir owneurinej of lovenimousa 

 qualitie it is, and fo hurtful! to their owne bodie ; and doe what they can to fpare themfelves, at- 

 tending the ntmoil: time of ?xtremicie,infoiiauch as they are ready to be taken before they do ir. 

 When the Vrchin is caught aliyCjihe deviie to make him open again In length, is to befprinkic 

 him with hot water 5 andtiien by hanging at one of their hin-feet without meat they die with fa- 

 mine.-otherwife It is not poiTible to kii them and fave their cafe or skin.There be writers who bafli 

 nottofay.That thiskindofbeail:(werenotthofepricks)is good for nothing, and may well be 



p miffed of men : & that the foft fleece of wooll that flieep bear, but for thcfc pricks were 1 uperflu- 



ous 6i to no purpofc beilowed upon maiikind : for with the rough skin of thefe VrchinS jare bru^' Or ratlier in- 

 llies and rubbers made to brufh ^ make clean our earments. And in very truth, many have got- ^l^^^ °f ^^'"-'^^ 

 ten great game and proh^ by this commoaitie and merchanditc^ and namely, wirh thejr crartie. yf^. 

 dcvife of monopoliesjthat allmightpalTs through their hands only:notwithflanding there hath, 

 not ben any one diforder more reprefled,and reformation fought by fundry cdids and ads of the 

 Senate in that behalie : every prince hath been continually troubled hereabout with grievous 

 complaints out of all provinces. 



T 



Ci:AP. XXXVIII. 



t'^OjthcLeontcphonejtheOr^cefifJgerSyandSqmrrB^ 



Wo other kinds there be of beaftsjwhofe urine worketh ftraungpnd wonderfull pffedsw 

 Thp one is called Leontophonos,and he breedeth in no countrey but where there be lions : 

 a litde creature it is, but fovenimotiSjthat tficly on (king olbea(ls,beforewhome all others 

 tremble) for a|f his might and puiffance, dieth prefently if hec taft never (0 little th.ereof. And 

 therefore they that chafe the lion, get all the Leontophones that they can come bVjburne their 

 bodies, and with thepouderofthem beflrewand leafon as it were the pieces of other flefh that 

 they lay for a bait in the forreft,and thus with the verie afhes (I fay) of his enemiqjkijj him : and 

 deadly and pernicious is it to the lion.No marveile therefore if the lion abhorreand hate him, 

 for (b foon as he clpieth him,hecruQieth him with hispawes,andfokilleth him withoi^t fetting 

 tooth 10 hisbodie.The Leon tophone for his part againe, is as readieto bedrench him with his 

 urinejknoyying right well that his pilTeisaveriepoifontotheLion. 



In thofc countries where the Onces breed, their urine (aker itis made)congealeth into a cer- 

 tain ycie fubftance^andwaxeth dry^Sifo itcomes to be a certain precious I^one like acarbuncle. 



