260 
PLINY'S KATUEAL HISTOEY. 
[Book VIII. 
CHAP. 12. (12.) THE SAGACITY OF THESE ANIMALS. 
The sagacity which every animal exhibits in its own behalf 
is wonderful, but in these it is remarkably so. The dragon 
has much difficulty in climbing up to so great a height, and 
therefore, watching the road, which bears marks of their foot- 
steps when going to feed, it darts down upon them from a 
lofty tree. The elephant knows that it is quite unable to 
struggle against the folds of the serpent, and so seeks for trees 
or rocks against which to rub itself. The dragon is on its 
guard against this, and tries to prevent it, by first of all con- 
fining the legs of the elephant with the folds of its tail ; while 
the elephant, on the other hand, endeavours to disengage itself 
with its trunk. The dragon, however, thrusts its head into 
its nostrils, and thus, at the same moment, stops the breath and 
wounds the most tender parts. When it is met unexpectedly, 
the dragon raises itself up, faces its opponent, and flies more 
especially at the eyes ; this is the reason why elephants are so 
often found blind, and worn to a skeleton with hunger and 
misery. What other cause can one assign for such mighty 
strifes as these, except that JS'ature is desirous, as it were, to 
make an exhibition for herself, in pitting such opponents 
against each other ? 
There is another story, too, told in relation to these combats 
— the blood of the elephant, it is said, is remaxkably cold ; for 
which reason, in the parching heats of summer,'''^ it is sought 
by the dragon with remarkable avidity. It lies, therefore, coiled 
up and concealed in the rivers, in wait for the elephants, when 
they come to drink ; upon which it darts out, fastens itself 
around the trunk, and then fixes its teeth behind the ear, that 
being the only place which the elephant cannot protect with 
the trunk. The dragons, it is said, are of such vast size, that 
they can swallow the whole of the blood ; consequently, the 
elephant, being thus drained of its blood, falls to the earth 
exhausted ; while the dragon, intoxicated with the draught, 
is crushed beneath it, and so shares its fate. 
The idea of the elephant's blood being cold, and sought after by the 
dragon, is, of course, without foundation ; its blood being of the same tem- 
perature with that of other quadrupeds. — B. 
