OF THE LYBIAN OXE.

THere is so great an innumerability of Libian Oxen, of so [ 10] great swiftnes and celerity, that the hunters are many times deceiued in hunting them, and so doe certainely chance or fall vpon other wilde beastes for the same they raised, and he in the meane while doth hide himselfe in a place of bram∣bles and briars, keeping himselfe there safe, while other wild beasts doth appeare like vnto them, and so doe deceiue the eies of the hunters: therefore if any man doth begin to fol∣low after either of them, it will be but labour lost, for hee is not able to comprehend or attaine them with a horse, ex∣cept he may take them being wearied by longitude of time. But if any hunters shall find a young calfe, spare the life thereof, and shall not presently kill it, he shall reape a double [ 20] profit by it: and first it doth bring profit to it selfe, and dooth induce or lead his dam into captiuity. For after that the hunter hath bound the calfe with a rope, she being enflamed by the loue or affection which she beareth to hir calfe, returneth backe againe vnto it, co∣ueting with an ardent desire to loosen and take away her Calfe out of the bond or halter, therefore she thrusteth in hir horne that she may loosen the cord, and pluck hir young one away, whereby she is kept fast bound with hir Calfe, her hornes being entangled in the rope.* Then commeth the hunter and killeth her, and taketh forth her liuer, and also cutteth off her dugs or vdder, and doth likewise pluck off hir skin, & leaueth her flesh for the Birds and wild beasts to feed vpon. There is another kind of Oxe in Libia, whose Hornes doth bend downeward, and for that cause they are faine to feed going backwards. Of the say∣ings [ 30] of Herodotus and Aelianus, I haue spoken before. Philes doth write that they are cald Oxen going backward, because the broadnes of their hornes doth couer their eie-sight, so that it standeth them in no vse to go forward, but is very commodious to go backward. There is an Oxe which liueth in the woods of Affrick, which doth resemble a domesticall Oxe, yet lesse in stature, of a browne or russet colour, and also most swift of foote. This beast is found in the desarts,* or in the Marches or limits of the desarts. Their flesh is also of a perfect or absolute sauour and tast, good for the nourishment of men.