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. LXXIII.

¶ The meat and drinke of some creatures. [unspec D]

OF all liuing creatures that haue many toes in their feet, the Hare alone feeds vpon grasse and greene corne in the blade. As for those that be whole hoofed, they liue both of the blade, and also of the fruit thereof. Also of such as be clouen footed, Swine will eat all kind of food, yea, and liue of very roots. It is the property of whole hoofed beasts alone, to wal∣low and turn ouer and ouer. All that haue teeth indented in like saws, be naturally deuourers of flesh. Bears wil feed of corn, brouse trees, eat grapes, liue of apples and other fruits, feed vpon bees, creifishes, and pismires. Wolues (as we said before) if they be very hungr, eat earth: sheep seed the better & grow fat, if they may drink; and therfore salt is very good for them, because it makes them thirsty. Draught beasts, and such as are vsed for carriage, albeit they liue of corne and grasse, •…•…et according to their drinking they do feed. Besides those mentioned hertofore, of [unspec E] wild beasts the red and fallow Deere both, doe chew cud when they be made tame and fed by hand: but all chuse rather in so doing, to lie than to stand, & in winter more than in summer, for seuen months ordinarily. The rats and mice in the country of Pontus, namely, Hermins, & such like, after the same maner do chew cud and go ouer their meat again. What beasts soeuer are toothed like saw teeth, lap as they drinke. So do also our common mice and rats, although they be of another kind, and are not so toothed. They that haue broad teeth, plaine, and vniforme, as horses and kine, drinke supping and taking their ful draught. Bears in their drinking do neither the one nor the other, but bite at the water and so let it down. In Affrick the more part of wild beasts drink not all summer long, for want of raine water: which is the cause that the Rats and [unspec F] Mice of Ginnie which be taken if they drink afterwards vpon so long disuse, die therewith. In the desarts of Affrick, where there is no water euer to be had, there is ingendred a certain wilde goat named Oryx, which as by the nature of the place it wanteth drink, so it hath in her bodie a souerain and singular remedy against drought and thirst. Which the common theeues & rob∣bers by the high way side in Getulia, knowing well enough, endure a long time with the helpe

thereof without drinke; for they vse to stanch and quench their own thirst, with a certain moist [unspec G] holesome liquour found in the bladders of the said beast. In the same Affricke the Leopards lie in await among the thickets of trees, hidden within the branches; and so seize vpon them that passe by, and make spoile euen from the place where fouls vse to perch. As for Cats, marke I pray you how silent they be, how soft they tread when they steale vpon the silly birds: how se∣cret lie they in espiall for the poore little mice to leap vpon them. Their owne doung and ex∣crements they will rake vp and hide in the earth, knowing full well, that the smell thereof will bewray where they are.