312 
pliisty's natukal histoet. 
[Book VIII. 
most valued, however, of all, are those of the island of Asty- 
palaea.^ 
CHAP. 60. LIZARDS.* 
It is said, that the lizard, the greatest enemy of all to the 
snail, never prolongs its life beyond six months. The lizards 
of Arabia are a cubit in length,^ while those upon Nysa,^ a 
mountain of India, are twenty-four feet long, their colour 
being either yellow, purple, or azure blue. 
CHAP. 61. (40.) — THE aUALITIES OF THE DOG; EXAMPLES OP 
ITS ATTACHMENT TO ITS MASTEE J NATIONS WHICH HAVE 
KEPT DOaS POR THE PURPOSES OF WAR. 
Among the animals, also, that are domesticated with mankind, 
there are many circumstances that are far from undeserving 
of being known: among these, there are more particularly 
that most faithful friend of man, the dog, and the horse. We 
have an account of a dog that fought against a band of robbers, 
in defending its master ; and although it was pierced with 
wounds, still it would not leave the body, from which it drove 
away all birds and beasts. Another dog, again, m Epirus, 
recognized the murderer of its master, m the midst of an as- 
semblage of people, and, by biting and barking at him, ex- 
torted from him a confession of his crime. A king of the 
Garamantes also was brought back from exile by two hundred 
dogs, which maintained the combat against all his opponents. 
The people of Colophon and Castabala® kept troops of dogs, 
for the purposes of war ; and these used to fight in the front 
rank, and never retreat ; they were the most faithful of aux- 
iliaries, and yet required no pay. After the defeat of the 
Cimbri, their dogs defended their moveable houses, which were 
carried upon waggons. Jason, the Lycian, having been slain, 
3 See B. iv. c, 23. The Romans valued them as a delicate food. 
* This account appears to be principally from Aristotle, Hist Anim. 
B. V. c, 29.~B. 
5 According to Cuvier, Ajasson, vol. vi. p. 458, and Lemaire, vol. iii. 
p. 475, the species of lizard named monitor, frequently exceeds this size ; 
but he remarks, in reference to the size of the Indian lizard, that none of 
the saurians, except the crocodile, attains the length here mentioned. — B, 
6 See B. vi. c. 23. ' See B. v. c. 31. 
8 See B. v. c. 22, and B. vi. c. 3. 
