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.

THE FIGVRE OF ANOTHER Tragelaphus or Deere-goate, expressed by BELLONIVS.

THere is another Tragelaphus (saith he) whereof I finde no name among the French: it wanteth a beard,* 1.1 and the Haire thereof resembleth an Ibex-goate (whose description follow∣eth afterward among Goates:) the hornes heereof are like a Goats, but more crooked and bending, compassing be∣hinde [ 40] as a Rammes doe, which he neuer looseth. His face, Nose, and eares, are like a sheepes, the skinne of his Cods being very thicke and hanging downe. His Legs are white like a sheepes, his taile white; his haires are so long about his necke and stomacke, that you would thinke it were bearded. His haire on the shoulders and brest blacke, and it hath two gray spots on his flanks on ei∣ther side: the Nostriles are blacke, the beake or face White; so also is the belly beneath, but the description heereof seemeth rather to agree with a Pygargus, or Musmon, of which I shall speake afterward.

[ 50] I doe rather approue the relation of another of this kinde, which was sent vnto me by that most learned English Physition Iohn Cay, which as he writeth vnto me, was brought in the yeare 1561. out of the Countrey of Mauritania, which was clouen-footed and liueth for the most part in the Mountaine partes of that Countrey, being in quantity betwixt a fallow-deere and a Hart, the body more like a Hart, and the side branded and hanging downe: a shorter and thicke necke, the colour in the Winter blacke, and red, set one with

[illustration]

[ 10] [ 20] another, the beard like a Goate, but more deuided and turned backeward; his haire very long euen to his knees, a mane full of bristles, stretched out in length through his whole necke, but especially about the toppe of the shoulder blades, where it standeth like bun∣ches, being in colour darker then in other parts of the body; and the hinder Legges are couered with longer and harder haires downe to the pasterne, (as I thinke) for no other cause but to defend them from harme in his leaping: and the hoofe of this beast was more strange (for being clouen as is saide before) the outward hoofe of his sore-legges is lon∣ger [ 30] and greater then the inward,* 1.2 and contrary in the hinder: and the inward cloue there∣of is longer and greater, and the outward smaller and shorter, so as on either side you would thinke one of them was the hoofe of a Goate, and the other of a Hart, both of them hollow and without soales; whereof I can giue no other reason, then the pleasure of na∣ture, which hath so prouided, that whereas this beast liueth among the rockes, and sharp places of the Mountaines, his foote-steps are by his hollow hoofes more firme and stable, because by that means, the stones and sharp pointed rocks entreth into them to stay them vp from slyding: but it is more strange in the females hoofes, for they haue vpon the top and vpper face of them three or foure pleasant impressions (as it were of carued or imbro∣dered flowers, if a man marke them earnestly,) which I think are giuen vnto them only for [ 40] ornament and delight.

Either sexe loose euery yeare their hoofes, and Harts doe their Hornes, that nature may shew their resemblance in their feet to a Hart, as he doth in their head to a Goat. His eare is short like a Goats, but his eie, genitall, stones, and taile, like a Harts, though som∣what shorter. The hornes like a Rammes, crooked and distinguished in the middle, by a blacke line all their length, which is two Roman feete and one finger, and in compasse at the roote, one foot, one palme, and a halfe, standing one from another, where they dif∣fer most not aboue one foote, three palmes, one finger and a halfe. The rugged circles going about them, toward the top are bunchy, and toward the bottom or roote they are low, with beaten notches or impressions. [ 50]

* 1.3They are not at the top distant one point from another, aboue one foote and a palme. The length of their face, from the Crowne to the tip of the Nose, one foote, and three fingers: the breadth in the forehead where it is broadest, two palmes and one finger.

The height of this beast not aboue three foote and a halfe, except where his mane stand∣eth, and the whole length heere of from the crown of the head to the taile is foure feet and a halfe and two fingers.

It hath onely teeth beneath on the neather chap, and those in number not aboue sixe, neither did I obserue any defect in them. It cheweth the cud like other clouen-footed beasts. The Nostrils are blacke, from whom the vpper lip is deuided by a long perpen∣dicular line. It is a gentle, pleasant and wanton beast, in the disposition,* 1.4 rather resembling a Goate then a Hart, desiring the steepest and slipperyest places whereon it leapeth, and from whence (it is reptored) that it doth cast downe it selfe headlong vpon the hornes na∣turally, that by them it may breake the violence of his fall or leape, and then stayeth his body vpon the sore-knees.

It will runne apace, but it is most excellent in leaping, for by leaping it ascendeth the highest Mountaines and rockes. The females are greater then the males, but not in [ 10] Horne or Haire, it eateth Grasse, Oates, Cheas••ill, Hay, and Bread, they bring forth twinnes euery time: and this we call in England a Barbary-Deere. Thus farre Doctor Cay.

[illustration]

[ 20] [ 30]

Notes

• * 1.1

  The descrip∣tion of his se¦uerall parts.
• * 1.2

  A secret in the hoofe.
• * 1.3

  Their quan∣tity in length and breadth.
• * 1.4

  Of the de∣scription of this beast.