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.

OF THE NORICIAN MOVSE.

THe Morician mouse is called in Latine Citellus, and it kee∣peth like the wilde mice in the caues and dens of the earth. The body is like to a Domestical Weasils, long & slender, the taile very short, the coulour of the haire like to a gray Conies, but more bright. It wanteth eares like a mole, but it hath open passages insteade of eares, wherewithall it hea∣reth [ 10] the sound, as you shal see in many birds. The teeth are like the teeth of mice, and of their skinnes (although they be not very precious) they vse to make garments. In Germany they cal it Pile and Zisel, and of this Germaine word was the Latine Citellus feigned; and it appeareth by Agricola, that there are two kindes of these; one greater, which are cald Zysell and Zeiseile, and another lesser (called Pile) which may be the same that is also called Bilchmuss, and differeth from other, because it is vsed for meat. These are bred in Croatia, and in the countrey about Vennice. They haue a strange smel or savour which is said to be hurtful to the head: They eat both salted and hung in the [ 20] smoke, and also fresh and new killed. With their skins they edge the skirts of garmentes, for it is as soft as the skin of a Hare: and beside the common nature of mice they are ta∣med. They also haue very large cheekes, whereinto they gather an innumerable quantitye of graine, and carry it into their den, as it were in bagges against the Winter. They liue thirty and fourty together in a caue, and are not driuen forth but by infusion of hot water. They gather great store of Nuts into their caues, and therefore aswel as for their flesh do men hunt and seeke after them.

Notes

• The name, description and di••positi¦on.
• Agricola.
• Genelius.