The tenth Booke of 



s; 



Chap* LXii* 



^ of the enmitk md mitie which is betmenefjJ^cs mdothsr 



Vch concord there is in fome^and fuch difcord in otherSjasit is wonderfulLthe Mullet and 

 the fea-Pike hate one another, and bee ever at deadly warre rlikewifcatheCongre and the 

 Lampfey: inforauch as they gnaw offoneanothcrstaile*TheL6bfter is fo afraid of the Po- 

 lype or Pourcuttelljthat if he fpie him neerejhe evermore dieih for very woe. The Lobfters arc 

 ^itrf^Arift ^cadie to fetch and tearethe*Congre:theCongresagainedocasmuch forthePolype: Hi- 

 fZcap, tj/l. gidfU£ writethj That the fea-Pike biteth off theMuIIets taile ; and yet the fame fifhes in certaine H 

 Mammal, fct months are good friends,and agree well ynough. Hee faith morcover^that thofe Mullets live 

 allinotwithihnding their tailes be fo curtoId.On the other fide^there be examples of frcindfhip 

 among fifhes^befides thofe,of whofe fbcietie and fcllowfhip I have alreadie written ; and name- 

 ly^betweene the great Whale BalaenajSnd the little Mufculus. For whereas the Whale aforefaid 

 hath no ufe of his eies(by reafon of the heavic weight of his eie-browes that cover them) the o- 

 • ther fwimmcth before him/erveth him in fteed of eies and lights, to fhew when hee is neerc the 

 fhelves and flialIowcs,wherein he may befoone grounded/o big and huge he is. 

 Thus much of Filll* Hence forward will we write of Foules. 



1 



THE TENTH BOOKE OF 



THE HISTORIE OF NATVRE, 



WRITTEN BY C. PLINIVS ^ 



S E C V N D V 



Chap. i. 



^ the nature of Birds &nd TouUs^ 



ITfolloweth now that wee ftioulddiicourfeofthe nature of Foules. And firft 

 to begin with Oftriches. Theyarethegreateftof all otlierfoulesjand in man- 

 ner of the nature of fourc footed beafts : (namely, thole in Affricke and /E- £, 

 thyopia) for higher they bee than a man fitting on horfebacke is from the 

 ground: and as they bee taller than the man, fo are they fwifter on foot than 

 the very horle. For to this end onely hath Nature given them wings, even to 

 hcipe and fet them forward in their runnings for otherwife, neither flie they in the aire, ne yet fo 

 much as rile and mount from the ground.Cloven houfcs they have like red decrCjand with them 

 Fheyfightj for good they be to catch up ftoneswithallj&with their legs theywhurle them back 

 as they run awayjagainft thofe that chafe them^A wonder this is in their nature^that whatfoever 

 they eat(and great devourers they bee of all things,without difference and choife) they concoct 

 anddigeftit.Buttheverieft fooles they be of allothers^For ashighasthe reft oftheitbodie is, 

 yet if they thruft their head and necke once into any fhrub or bulli,and getit hidden,they thinke 

 ^he^i they are fafc ynoughjand that no man feeth them. Now two things they doe affoord, in re- 

 Gompenceof mens painesthat they take in hunting and chafing them: to wit,theiregs, which 

 are fo big, that fome ufe them far veffels in the houie : and their feathers feiairc, that they fervc 

 forpennaches to adorne and fet out the crefts and morions of fouldiorsinihe warres, 



' Chap, 



