Plinies Natural! Hiftorie. 



the partition be very little, and hardjydifcerncd under the foot, but feemeth fiefhall over the 

 folejasBearesalfo, which is the caule that if they travaile farre iinfhod, their feet are furbated^ 

 and the beafts will tire. 



Chap, Xtvii 

 ^ A difcourfe of beajls HoufeSi 



THeHoufcsof HorfeSjMuleSaAffeSjandfuchlikebeaftsof carriage only, if they be pared 

 and cutj will grow againe. In fome parts of Sclavonia, the Swine arc not cloven- footed^ 

 but whole houfed. All horned beaftsin manner be cloven footed: but no bcaft beareth 

 B two homes, and hath wiihall the houfe of one entire peece . The Indian AfTe hath onely one 

 horn« The wild Goat alfo called Oryx, is cloven houfed, and yet hath but one horn.The Indian 

 AlTe moreover, of all whole houfed beaffsalonej hath the paiierne or ankle- bones . As for 

 Swine, a mungrell kind they are thought to be of both, in regard of thofe bonesj andtherupon 

 are reputed Hlthie and accurfed.They that have thought that a manhadfuch, areroonecoa- 

 vincediAsfbrthcOnce, he indeed alone of all thofe whofe feet are divided into toes,haththac 

 which fomewhat rcfembleth apafternc bone. SohathaLion alfo, butthatitis more crooked 

 and winding. As for the ftreightpaf^erne bone indeed, it beareth out with a belly in the joync 

 of the foota and in that hollow concavitie wherein the faid bone turnethjit is tied by ligaments* 



C Chap. XLVii, 



^ of Birds feet^ and ti/eir Clarves or Tallonsl 



OF Foules, fome have their feet divided into clees and toes ; others be broad and fiat fod- 

 ted : and (bme are betweene both 5 which have indeed their toes parted and diftin6l, and 

 yet their feet be broad between. But allof them have foure toes to a foot: to wit, three in 

 the fore part, and one behind at the heele,in mannet of a fpurrc .-howbeit this one is wanting in 

 foms that are long legged. The Wrynecke or Hickway, with fome few others, have two before 

 and other two behind. The fame bird putteth out a tongue of a great length,like to ierpents . It 

 turnechthc necke about and lookethbackeward: great clawes it hathhke thofe of Choughes. 

 D Some bigger birds have in their legs one other fhanke-bone more than ordinarie , None that 

 have crooked ta]lons,be long legged. All that flaulke with long fhankes, as they file flretch ouc 

 their legs in length to their tailes : but fuch as be fhori legged ,draw them up to the mids of their 

 belly .They that fay, No bird is without feet taffirmealfojThat"^ Martinets have feet: like as al- * 

 fo rhe fwiit Swallow called Oce, and the lea Swallow Drepanis. And yet fuch birds come fo little 

 abroad, that they be feldomefeeae^Tp ponclude^ there have ben now of late^ Serpents known 

 flat-footed like Geefe. ; , ; - . 



Chai?. xiviiio 

 J, Of the feetoflnfsfis, 



A LI Ink^s having hard eies, have their fore- leg'ges longer than the reft, totheend that 

 otherwhiles they might with thera, fcoure their eiesjaswecfee fome flies doe: biit thofe 

 whole hinder-legs are longed, ufe to skip andhopjasLocufts. Howbeit,all of them have 

 fix legs apeece. Some Spiders there be, that have two over and above the ordinarie, and thofe 

 be very long : and every leg hath three joynts. As for Ibme fea-fifhes, wee have faid before thac 

 they h;i ve eight legs : namely ,Manyf€et,Pourcutdes,Cuttlcs,Calamaries3 and Crabfifhes : and 

 tho{e moove their f ore-decs like armes a contrary way,buc their feet either they turne round at 

 elfe fctchsiihera crooked atone-fide: and a man fhall nbt fee any living creature again, all round, 

 but they. As for others, they have two feet to guide them and lead ■'■^^^ way, but Crabs onely 

 F have fpure. There be Infects befides upon the land,that exceed this number of feet, and then, 

 they haveno fewer than twelve: as the .rnofl fortofwormes: yea and fome of them reach to an 

 hundred* No creatureiwhatfoever hath an odde foot* As touching the legs of thofe which be 

 wholehp.ufedjtheybe all fullas long when they firft come into the world, as ever they will be: 

 well may they {boot put bigger andbwrnilh afterward, but (to ipcakc truly and properly) they 



Hh ij " ^ grow 



