Show description

XIII. Ethiopia produces elephants that rival those The African ^*^""' of India, being 30 ft. high ; the only surprising thing is what led Juba to beUeve them to be crested. are chiefly bred are called the Asachaeans it is stated that in the coast districts belonging to this tribe the elephants Hnk themselves four or five together into a sort of raft and holding up their heads to sei've as sails are carried on the waves to the better pastures of ; Arabia. XIV. Megasthenes writes that in India snakes s^mkesof grow so large as to be able to swallow stags and bulls ^^'Jp'»""'»' whole and Metrodorus that in the neighbourhood of the river Rhyndacus in Pontus they catch and gulp down birds passing over them even though they are flying high and fast.

There are consequently many varieties of hybrids in that country, either violence or lust mating the males with the females of each species indiscriminately. ^ A hon detects intercourse with a leopard in the case of an adulterous mate by scent, and concentrates his entire strength on her chastisement consequently this guilty stain is washed away in a stream, or else she keeps her distance when accompanying him. But I notice that there used to be a popular behef that the honess only bears a cub once, as her womb is wounded by the points of — ; ; 33 FeHne ^[f^gir^gait.

When pursuing he advances by leaps and bounds, but he does not use this gait when in flight. When lie has been wounded he marks down his assailant in a marvellous way, and knows him and picks him out in however large a as if for a ; 39 PLINY: NATURAL HISTORY petit, eum vero qui telum quidem miserit sed non vul- neraverit correptum rotatumque sternit nec vulnerat. cum pro catulis feta dimicat, oculorum aciem traditur terram ne venabula expavescat. cetero nec limis intuentur oculis aspicique simili modo nolunt.