The historie of foure-footed beastes Describing the true and liuely figure of euery beast, with a discourse of their seuerall names, conditions, kindes, vertues (both naturall and medicinall) countries of their breed, their loue and hate to mankinde, and the wonderfull worke of God in their creation, preseruation, and destruction. Necessary for all diuines and students, because the story of euery beast is amplified with narrations out of Scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: wherein are declared diuers hyerogliphicks, emblems, epigrams, and other good histories, collected out of all the volumes of Conradus Gesner, and all other writers to this present day. By Edward Topsell.

[ 20] OF THE WILDE CAT.

ALl Cats at the beginning were Wilde, and therefore some doe interpret ijm. Esay. 34. for wilde cats; and the Germans call it Bonumruter, that is, a tree-rider, because she hunteth Birds and foules from tree to treee. The Spaniard calleth it Gato-montes, and in some places of France it is called chat-caretz. There are great store of them in Heluetia, especial∣ly in the Woods, and sometime neere the Waters, also being in colour like tame cats but blacker, such as in Eng∣lang is called a Poolcat. I saw one of them, which was taken [ 30] in September, and obserued, that it was in length from the forehead to the toppe of the taile, foure full spannes, and a blacke line or strake all along the backe, and likewise some blacke vpon the Legges; betwixt the breast and the necke there was a large white spot, and the colour of her other parts was dusky, red, and yellow, especially about the buttocks, the heeles of her feet were blacke, her tayle longer then an ordinary house cats, hauing two or three blacke circles about it, but toward the top all blacke.

They abound in Scandinauia, where the Linxes deuoure them: otherwise they are hun∣ted with Dogges, or shot with Gunnes,* 1.1 and many times the countrey men seeing one in a tree, doth compasse it about with multitude, and when she leapeth downe kill hir with [ 40] their clubs, according to the verse of Neuersianus:

Felemque minacem Arboris in trunco, Longis perfigere telis.

In the prouince of Malabar, these cattes liue vpon trees, because they are not swift to run, but leape with such agility, that some haue thought they did flye: and verily they do flie, for they haue a certaine skin, which when they lie in quiet, cleaueth or shrinketh vp to their bellies, but being stirred, the same spreadeth from their forefeet to their hinder, like the Wing of a Bat; by vertue whereof, they stay vp themselues in the aire, passing form tree to tree like a foule: as also doth the Pontique mouse, as shall be declared after∣ward.

[ 50] The skinnes of wild cats are vsed for garments, for there is no skinne warmer, as by experience appeareth in Scithia and Moscouia, where their women are clothed with the furre of cats, but especially for buskins and sleeues with their haire turned inward, not on∣ly against cold but for medecine, against contracted sinnewes, or the gout. The fat of this beast is reserued by some for heating, softening, and displaying tumours in the flesh:

and whatsoeuer Rasis or any other said of the house Cat before in the medicinall partes, that also appertaineth to this, except as in all other, so it falleth forth heerin, that the ver∣tues of the wild kind is more effectuall then the tame.

There are some among the Rhaetians and Germans, which eate the flesh heerof accoun∣ting it delicate, hauing first cut off the head and taile: they cannot abide the fume of rue, or of bitter almonds; there is nothing memorable, in the nature of this beast that I can learne, except that which is related by Aetius, that when men are bitten by Crocodils, this beast by a naturall instinct hating a Crocodill, will come about the wounded persons, o∣therwise fearing the presence of man.

We may heerunto adde the beast which is bred in Armerica called Heyratt, spoken of by [ 10] Theuetus: which name signifieth a beast of Hony, and the reason is, because it desireth ho∣ny aboue measure, for it will climbe the trees, and comming to the caues of Bees, it will with such dexterity, take out the Hony with their nailes, that it neither hurteth the Bees or receiueth harme by them. It is about the bignesse of a Catte, and of a Chesse-nut colour.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Olaus mag: