The historie of the vvorld: commonly called, The naturall historie of C. Plinius Secundus. Translated into English by Philemon Holland Doctor of Physicke. The first [-second] tome

CHAP. LVIII. [unspec D]

¶ What Creatures liue not but in certaine places.

A Wonderfull thing it is to see, that Nature hath not only brought forth diuers creatures in sundrie Countries, but also in one region vnder the same climate hath denied some of them to liue in euery corner thereof. And namely in the forrest of Moesia in Italie, these Dormice are found but only in one part thereof. And in Lycia, the wild goats, roe-buckes, and Does neuer passe the mountaines that confine vpon the Syrians: no more than the wilde Asses transmount that hil which diuides Cappadocia from Cilicia. Within Hellespont the Stags and Hinds neuer go forth and enter into the marches of other countries: and those about Ar∣ginussa passe not the mountaine Elatus: which may be knowne by this, that all vpon that hill [unspec E] haue their eares marked and slit. In the Island Poroselenum the weezels will not crosse ouer the highway. And about Lebadia in Boeotia, those moldwarpes or wants that are brought thi∣ther from other parts, will not abide the very soile, but flie from it; which neere-by in Orcho∣menus, vndermine and hollow all their corn fields: and such store there is of them, that I haue seen all the hangings, carpets, counterpoints, and couerlets of chambers made of their skinnes. See how men for no religion and feare of the gods wil be kept from taking their pleasures and making their delights of these creatures, otherwise prodigious & portending things to come. The strange Hares that be brought into Ithaca will not liue there, but seeking to escape, are found dead vpon the very banks of the sea side. In the Island Ebusus be no Connies at all: and [unspec F] yet in Spain and the Baleare Isles there are so many, that they pester the whole country. Frogs were euer in Cyrenae naturally mute, and would not cry: but brought there were thither out of the continent such as would crie in the water: and that whole kind still remaineth vocal. In the Island Seriphos you shall not yet heare a Frogge to cry: let the same be carried forth to

other places, they will keep a singing as well as the res•…•…. And (by report) the like hapned in a [unspec G] lake of Thessaly named Sicendus. In Italy the hardy shrews are venomous in their biting: but passe ouer the Apennine once there are no more such to be found. In what country soeuer they be, let them go ouer the tract of a cart wheele they die presently. In Olympus a mountaine of Macedony there are no wolues, ne yet in the Isle of Candy▪ and there verily are to be found no Foxes nor Beares, and in one word, no hurtfull or noisome beast, vnlesse it be a kinde of spider called Phalangium, whereof we will speake more in due time and place. And that which is more wonderfull, in the same Isle there are no stags or hinds, saue only in the region and quarter of the Cydoniates: no wild bores likewise, nor the fowle called the Godwit or Attagene, ne yet Vrchins. To conclude, in Africk ye shall find no wild bores, no Stags and Hinds, no roe-bucks and Does, ne yet Beares. [unspec H]