The history of four-footed beasts and serpents describing at large their true and lively figure, their several names, conditions, kinds, virtues ... countries of their breed, their love and hatred to mankind, and the wonderful work by Edward Topsell ; whereunto is now added, The theater of insects, or, Lesser living creatures ... by T. Muffet ...

Of the SEA-HORSE.

THe Sea-horse, called in Greek, Hippotomos, and in Latine, Equus Fluviatilis; It is a most ugly and filthy Beast, so called because in his voyce and mane he resembleth a Horse, but in his head an Oxe or a Calf; in the residue of his body a Swine, for which cause some Graecians call him some-times a Sea-horse, and sometimes a Sea-oxe, which thing hath moved many learned men in our time to affirm, that a Sea-horse was never seen; whereunto I would easily subscribe (such Bellon〈…〉〈…〉) were it not that the antient figures of a Sea-horse, altogether resembled that which is here expressed; and was lately to be seen at Constantinople, from whom this picture was

taken. It liveth for the most part in Nilus; yet is it of a doubtful life, for it brings forth and breed∣eth on the land, and by the proportion of the legs, it seemeth rather to be made for going, then for swimming: for in the night time it eateth both hay and fruits, sorraging into corn fields, and de∣vouring whatsoever cometh in the way; and therefore I thought it fit to be inserted into this story. As for the Sea-calf, which cometh sometimes to land only to take sleep; I did not judge it to be∣long to this discourse, because it feedeth only in the waters.

[illustration]

This picture was taken out of the Colossus in the Vatican at Rome, representing the River Nilus, and eating of a Crocodile: and thus I reserve the farther discourse of this beast unto the History of Fishes, adding only thus much, that it ought to be no wonder, to consider such monsters to come out of the Sea, which resemble Horses in their heads, seeing therein are also creatures like unto Grapes and Swords.

The Orsean Indians do hunt a Beast with one horn, having the body of a Horse, and the head of a Hart. The Aethiopians likewise have a Beast, in the neck like unto a Horse, and the feet and legs like unto an Ox. The Rhinocephalus hath a neck like a Horse, and also the other parts of his body, but it is said to breath out air which killeth men. Pausanias writeth, that in the Temple of Gabales, there is the picture of a Horse, which from his breast backwards is like a Whale. Lampsacenus writeth, that in the Scythian Ocean, there are Islands wherein the people are called Hippopodes, having the bodies of men, but the feet of Horses; and Lamia hereafter to be declared, hath the feet of a Horse, but in other things the members of a Goat: and thus much for the several kindes of Horses, both for them that are properly so called, and also for any other, which like bastards retain any resemblance of nature with this Noble and profitable kinde of Beast.