280 
PLINY's irATURAL HISTOEY. 
[Book .VIII. 
colour. It has also the jaws of the wild boar, and horns that are 
moveable, and more than a cubit in length, so that, in fighting, 
it can employ them alternately, anti yary their position by pre- 
senting them directly or obliquely, according as necessity may 
dictate. Eut the wild bulls which this country produces are 
the fiercest of all ; they are larger than our domestic bull, and 
exceed all the others in swiftness ; are of a tawny colour, with 
azure eyes, and the hair turned the contrary way ; while the 
jaws open as far as the ears, and the horns are as moveable 
as those of the eale. The hide of this animal is as hard as 
flint, and eifectually resists all wounds. These creatures pursue 
all the other wild beasts, while they themselves can only be 
taken in pitfalls, where they always perish from excess of rage. 
Ctesias informs us, that among these same Ethiopians, there 
is an animal found, which he calls the mantichora it has a 
triple row of teeth, which fit into each other like those of a 
comb, the face and ears of a man, and azure eyes, is of the colour 
of blood, has the body of the lion, and a tail ending in a sting, 
like that of the scorpion. Its voice resembles the union of 
the sound of the flute and the trumpet ; it is of excessive 
swiftness, and is particularly fond of human flesh. 
CHAP. 31. THE TEEEESTEIAL AT^IMALS OF luSTDIA, 
There are in India oxen also with solid hoofs and a 
single horn and a wild beast called the axis, which has a skin 
51 Perhaps the eale may kave been tlie two-horned rhinoceros, as some 
naturahsts say that there is a degree of mobility in the horns of that 
animal ; the same observation has been made with respect to the wild or 
forest bulls, the description of which animal, in Pliny, is probably from 
Diodorus Siculus, — B. 
52 This description of the mantichora appears to be taken from the 
Indica of Ctesias ; it has been also adopted by Aristotle and jElian, but 
they have qualified their accounts by some expressions of doubt, which are 
omitted by Pliny. It has been conjectured, that Ctesias took his descrip- 
tion from the hieroglyphic figures in his time, probably common in the 
East, and still found in the ruins of the Assyrian and Persian cities, Ni- 
neveh and Persepolis, for instance. — B. 
53 Probably meaning, " not cloven." 
5* Cuvier conjectures, that this is from Ctesias, and says, that a similar 
animal is to be seen on one of the sculptures of Persepolis. — B. 
