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 MOVSE PONTIQVE [ 30]

[illustration]

[ 40]

THe name of this mouse is giuen vnto it from the Island out of which it was first brought, named Pontus, and for this cause it is also called Fenicus, because it was first of al brought into Germany from Venice. It is called also Varius by Idorus, from whence commeth the Ger∣man word Vutrck, from the diuersity of the colour Graeu vuerck. It is [ 50] cald also Pundtmuss, as it wer Pōticus mus, or rather, of Bundt, because they wer wont to be brought in bundles to be sold fifty togither, and they were solde for twenty Groates, Volaterranns, and Hermol••us are of this opinion, that the white ones in this kinde, bee called of the Italians Ar∣mellines, and by the Germaines Hermelin, but wee haue promised already to prooue

that Hermelin is a kind of Weasell, which in the winter time is white, by reason of extrea∣mity of cold, and in the summer returneth into her colour again, like as do the Hares of the Alpes. This Pontique Mouse differeth from others onely in colour, for the white is mingled with ash colour, or else it is sandy and blacke, and in Pollonia at this day they are found red and ash-colour. Their two lower most teeth before are very long, & when it go∣eth, it draweth the taile after it like mice, when it eateth it vseth the forefeet instead of hāds, and feedeth vpon Walnuts, Chesnuts, Filbeards, smal Nuts, Apples, and such like fruits. In the winter time they take sleep instead of meate: And it is to bee remembred, that the Polonians haue foure kinds of pretious skins of Mice which they vse in their Garmentes, distinguished by foure seuerall names. The first of grisell colour called Popieliza. The se∣cond [ 10] is called Gronosthaij, a very white beast all ouer, except the tip of the taile which is al blacke, and this is the Hermelin.

The third is called Nouogrodela from the name of a Towne, and this is white mingled with grisell, and this is also a kind of Pontike Mouse. The 4. Vuieuuorka, of a bright Ches∣nut colour, and this is the Squirrell, for they call Squirrels, Weasels, and Hermelin al by the name of mice. These Pontique Mice haue teeth on both sides, and chew the end. In the winter time as we haue said they lie and sleepe, especially the white ones, and their sence of tast doth excel al other (as Pliny writeth,) they build their nests and breed like com∣mon Squirrels.

[ 20] Their skins are sold by ten together, the two best are called Litzschna. the 3. a little worse are called Crasna, the 4 next to them Pocrasna, and the last and vilest of all Moloischna: with these skins they hem and edge garmentes, and in some places they make canonicall Gar∣ments of them for priests, vnto which they few their tailes to hang downe on the skirts of their garments; of which custome Hermolaus writeth very excellently in these words. In∣struxit, & ex muribus, luxuriam suam vita, alios magnis frigoribus, alios medio anni tempore, a septentrionibus petendo, armannus corpora, & de bellamus animos. That is to say, The life of man hath learned to be prodigall euen out of the skins of Mice, for some they vse against extremity of cold, and they fetch others out of the farthest Northern parts, for the mid∣dle part of the yeare: Thus do we arme and adorne our bodies, but put downe and spoyle [ 30] our minds.

Beside, there is a flying Ponticke or Scy∣thian

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Mouse, which we may call the broad-Squerrell-Mouse, whose skinne is heer ex∣pressed as you may see, and for the discrip∣tion thereof, I haue thought good to adde an Epistle of Antonius Schnebergerus the Lituanian of Vilna vnto Gesner, in these wor¦des following:

I send vnto thee a little skin, the vpper place of the haires thereof being of a white [ 40] ash-colour, but the roote of the haire or in∣ner part thereof, is a blacke broune. They call it Popyelycza Latayacza, that is, A Pontique-flying-Mouse: It is alwaies so moyst, that it can neuer be dressed by the Skinner, or Lether-dresser.

The people vse it to wipe sore running eies, hauing a perswasion that there is in it a sigular vertue for the easing and mitigating of those paines: but I thinke that the softnesse was the first cause which brought in the first vse thereof, but if the haires do not cleaue hard to the skin, it cannot be done without danger. Also the haires hanging as it were in a round cir∣cle against or aboue the two former feete, they call wings, wherwithall they are thought to fly from tree to tree. Thus far Antonius▪ Gesner after the receite of these skins, being wil∣ling [ 50] to preserue them from mothes, because they were raw, for experience sake gaue them to a leather dresser, who presently dressed them with Vineger and the Leese of Wyne, so that it appeareth the Skinners of Littuania had not the skill how to dresse it.

After they were dressed they were so softe that they stretched aboue measure, so that euery one of them were square, that is to say, their length and breadth were equall,

for they were two palmes or eight fingers broade: and no more in length, the head and taile excepted, wherefore it may well be called a square Mouse, or Sciurus quadratus, be∣cause we are sure of the former, but not of the flying; the taile was as long as foure or fiue fingers are broad, being rough like the taile of other Squirrels, but beset with blacke and white haires, the whole colour both of the belly and vpper parte was whitish as we haue said, but blacke vnderneath, the haire is so soft as any silke, and therefore fit for the vse of the eies.

The eares shorter and rounder then a Squirrels, the feete did not appeare by the skin: the neather part was distinguished from the vpper part, by a certaine visible line, [ 10] wherein did hang certain long haires which by their roughnes and solidity vnder the thin and broad frame of their body, might much help them to flie, euen as broad fishes swim by the breadth of their bodies, rather then by the help of their sins. The Heluetians wear these skins in their garmentes. It is reported by Aelianus, that the inhabitantes of Pontus by making supplication to their Gods, did auert and turn away the rage of Mice from their cornfieldes, as the Egyptians did, as we haue said before in the story of the vulgar Mouse.

Notes

• Olaus mag: Agricola