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 ...

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Title
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 ...
Author
Topsell, Edward, 1572-1625?
Publication
London :: Printed by E. Cotes for G. Sawbridge ... T. Williams ... and T. Johnson ...,
1658.
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Subject terms
Zoology -- Pre-Linnean works.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A42668.0001.001
Cite this Item
"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 ..." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A42668.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 3, 2024.

Pages

Of another Beast called BUSELAPHUS.

THere was (saith D. Cay) a cloven-footed beast brought out of the Deserts of Mauritania into England, of the bigness of a Hinde, in form and countenance betwixt a Hinde and a Cow, and * 1.1 therefore for the resemblance it beareth of both, I will call it Buselaphus, or Bovicervus, or Moschela∣phus, or a Cow-Hart: having a long and thin head and ear, a lean and slender leg and shin, so that it may seem to be made for chase and celerity. His tail not much longer then a foot, but the form thereof very like a Cows, and the length like a Harts; as if nature seemed to doubt whether it should encline to a Cow or a Hart: his upper parts were yellowish and smooth, his neither parts black and rough; the hair of his body betwixt yellow and red, falling close to the skin, but in his fore-head standing up like a Star; and so also about the horns which were black, and at the top smooth, but downward rough with wrinkles meeting on the contrary part, and on the neerer side spreading from one another, twice or thrice their quantity. These horns are in length one foot and a hand-breadth, but three hands-breadth thick at the root, and their distance at the root was not above one fingers breadth, so arising to their middle, and a little beyond where they differ or grow asunder three hands breadth and a half; then yeeld they together again a little, and so with another crook depart asun∣der the second time, yet so, as the tops of the horns do not stand afunder above two hands-breadth, three fingers and a half. From the crown of the head to the nostrils, there goeth a black strake which is one foot, two palms and one finger long, in breadth above the eyes where it is broadest, it is seven fingers, in thickness one foot and three palms, it hath eight teeth, and wanteth the uppermost like a Cow, and yet cheweth the Cud, it hath two udders under the belly like a Heifer that never had a Calf, it is a gentle and pleasant beast, apt to play and sport, being not only swift to run, but * 1.2 light and active to leap: It will eat any thing, either bread, broth; salted or powdred beef, grafs or herbs, and the use hereof being alive is for hunting, and being dead the flesh is sweet and plea∣sant for meat.

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