Plinics Namrall Hiliorle. 503 



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friiitfull they are of their hodie, ElephantSjCamels, and Horfes, get but one at once^neither db 

 the females bearc any more at a time ; whereas the Goldfinch or Linnet, a vcrie little bird, brin- 

 geth forth a dozen commonly at once. Such as bring moft , are leaft while in breeding. The 

 greater that any creature is, the longer time it requireth tobeformed inthembiberswombe, 

 Andfuchaslive long,be longer alfo ere they have their perfe(5i:ion and come abroad into the 

 world* The growing age is not meet for generation. Beafts that are whole hoiifed, never bring 

 but one at a time ;fuch as be cloven footed intwainCjmay alio have twins. But as many as have 

 their feetparted and divided into many toes, are fit to beare many at ones i And whereas ali the 

 former rehearfed, bring forth perfect creatures with all parts, fome have their young ones im- 

 perfed and but halfe made: in which number Lionefles, fhe Beares, bitch Foxes, are to be rec- 

 koned : but fpecially the fheeBeares,whole whelpes are more unfhapen than the reft : and a tare 

 thing it is to fee them a whelping. Howbeitfuchfemaleswhen they are delivered of them, wirh 

 their licking do chafe and heat them, and fo by little and little bring them to fome forme and fa- 

 ftion by this meanes. Such for the moft part beare foure whelpes. As for Bitches, Wolves,Pan- 

 thers, and Thoes, kindle their young before they can fee. 



Of Dogges and Bitches there be manykinds.Theyof *Laconia,aswell the male as the fe- * R^remfcHrg 

 malejbe apt to engender after they be eight moneths old. They be with whelpe threelcore daies a^aftf^gj^'^ 

 and three, ordinarily. As for other Bitches, they goe proud at fixe moneths, and may be lined. 

 They be all the fort of them,fped at the firft lining. Bitches that goe aflant and take the dog be- 

 fore the full time, namely when they be verie young, fuch bring a litter that will be longer ere 

 they fee .-neither go they:but all the whelpes will not be blind fo many daies. Dogs commonly ^ 

 when they be halfe yeere old, are thought to lift up their leg when they pilfe ; and that k a figne 

 theyarecometo their full ftrength and pcrfed^ion: but bitches all that time pifte fitting upon 

 their buttocks. They have twelve whelpes when they bring moftpbut yefhall fee them common- 

 ly with a litter offixe or five: and (bmetime they come with juft one, but that is thought to bea 

 prodigious figne j as alfo if the whelpes be all Dogges,or all Bitches. The fitft ufually that they 

 whelpe,be Dogs ; for the reft^they be one with another, a Dog and a Bitch t namely , if they were 

 lined in the due feafon, and at the juft moneth. And commonly they go proud fixe moneths af- 

 ter their former Utter. The Bitches of Laconia ordinarily bring eight at atime. The Dogs of 

 this race have«B propertie with them,that the morethey be travailed, the more luftie and irefh < 

 they are, yea and the hotter after falt-bitches. ! hey live ten yeares, and the Bitches twelve. Of 

 other kinds,ye fhall have them continue fifteeny<^ares , yea and otherwbiles twentie: but they 

 engender not fo long,but give over commonly at twelve. ^ ^ o/: i , . 



CatsandRats ol: IndCjCalled Ichneumones,in all other refped^s follow the nature of DogSj 

 favc that they live but fix yeares. Conies kindle everie moneth, and albeit they be bagged, yet 

 will they take the bucke againe,and conceive upon it; like as the Hares alfo wilidoe*the fame: 

 forasfooneasevertheyhavekindled,theygotobuckeandareprercntly fped:andfay ihatthe 

 Leverets or Rabbets lie fucking atxhem,yet will they be with yong. When they be new kindled^ 

 they cannot fee. 



Elephants (as wee have alfeadie faid) never bring but one at oncCj-and that commonly is as 

 bigge as a Calfe a quarter old. Camels goe a wholeyeare* Aftertheybe three yeares old, they 

 are Tufficientfor to engender:andcommonly theycome in thefpring : ahditisayeare after 

 before they be covered againe . Asfor MareSjif there be three daies betv^c^ne, or but one, after 

 they have foled, it is thought they may verie well be covered againe ; yea and they arebrought 

 perforce to the ftallion for thispurpofe. It is fuppofed alfo , that the flice Affc within fcven 

 daies after^ will fooneft conceive. It is arule, toiliare andclip aMares maine, before (bee will, 

 abide the covering of an A{fe,fovile andbafea beaft :for fo long as the haire of her maine is 

 well growne,fhee is fo proud and gloiious, that fhee will not abide the AfTe to comeneare her. 

 So fooneastheybe coveted and fped, they run full into the South or the North wind , accor-?t 

 ding as they bb conceived either with maleorfemale :athing that no othef beaft befide5,doib. 

 And then, fuddainly they chaunge their colour 5 for their haire will bcredder, or atleaftwife 

 fuller and deeper-) whatcolour foevcritbe. By whichfigneitisknowneihey are widifole, and 

 then they will admit no ftallions unto them, would they neiver fo faine , And fay, that fome 

 of them have foles running by their fides, they will doc their deed at worke nevcrthelefle : 

 nay when they be with fole, they wilUabour as well as they did before: info much, as many 



Ddij times 



