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PROLOGUE There is perhaps nothing extraordinary in the fact that man is wise and just, takes great care to provide for his own children, shows due consideration for his parents, seeks sustenance for himself, protects himself against plots, and possesses all the other gifts of nature which are his. For man has been endo...	[]
BOOK IThere is a certain island called Diomedea, and it is the home of many shearwaters. These, it is said, neither harm the barbarians nor go near them. If however a stranger from Greece puts in to port, the birds by some divine dispensation approach, extending their wings as though they were hands, to welcome and emb...	[ { "start": 39, "end": 47, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 640, "end": 645, "label": "PLACE" } ]
The Parrot Wrasse feeds upon seaweed and wrack, and is of all fishes the most lustful, and its insatiable desire for the female is the reason why it gets caught. Now skilful anglers are aware of this, and they set upon it in this way. Whenever they capture a female, they fasten a fine line of esparto to its lip and tra...	[]
The Mullet is one of those fishes that live in pools and is believed to control its appetite and to lead a most temperate existence. For it never sets upon a living creature, but is naturally inclined to peaceful relations with all fish. If it comes across any dead fish, it makes its meal off that, but will not lay hol...	[]
As loyal men and true fellow-soldiers come to one another's aid, so do the fish which men skilled in sea-fishing call Anthias; and their haunts are the sea. For instance, directly they are aware that a mate has been hooked, they swim up with all possible speed; then they set their back against him and by falling upon h...	[]
Of the fish known as the 'Gnawer' its name and, what is more, its mouth declare its nature. Its teeth grow in an unbroken line and are numerous and so strong as to bite through anything that comes their way. Therefore, when taken with a hook, it is the only fish that does not attempt to withdraw, but presses on in its ...	[]
I am told that a dog fell in love with Glauce the harpist. Some however assert that it was not a dog but a ram, while others say it was a goose. And at Soli in Cilicia a dog loved a boy of the name of Xenophon; at Sparta another boy in the prime of life by reason of his beauty caused a jackdaw to fall sick of love.	[ { "start": 152, "end": 156, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 160, "end": 167, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 214, "end": 220, "label": "PLACE" } ]
Men say that the Jackal is most friendly disposed to man, and whenever it happens to encounter a man, it gets out of his way as though from deference; but when it sees a man being injured by some other animal, it at once comes to his help.	[]
One Nicias unwittingly outdistanced his fellow huntsmen and fell into a charcoal-burners' furnace. But his hounds, which saw this happen, did not leave the spot, but at first remained whining and baying about the furnace, until at length, by just daring to bite the clothes of passers-by gently and cautiously, they trie...	[]
The Drone, which is born among bees, hides itself among the combs during the day, but at night, when it observes that the bees are asleep, it invades their work and makes havoc in the hives. When the bees realise this (most of them are asleep, being thoroughly tired, though a few are lying in wait for the thief), direc...	[]
Even among Bees there are some which are lazy, though they do not resemble drones in their habits, for they neither damage the combs nor have designs upon the honey, but feed themselves on the flowers, flying abroad and accompanying the others. But though they have no skill in the making and the gathering of honey, at ...	[]
A man may tell the age of Bees in the following way. Those born in the current year are glistening and are the colour of olive oil; the older ones are rough to the eye and to the touch and appear wrinkled with age. They have however greater experience and skill, time having instructed them in the art of making honey. T...	[]
Even among fishes there are many kinds which know how strong is love, for that god, powerful as he is, has not ignored and disdained even the creatures that dwell below in the depths of the ocean. One at any rate that pays service to this god is the Mullet, but not every species, only that to which men who have observe...	[ { "start": 470, "end": 476, "label": "PERSON" } ]
It seems however that fish are also models of continence. At any rate when the Etna-fish as it is called, pairs with its mate as with a wife and achieves the married state, it does not touch another female; it needs no covenants to maintain its fidelity, no dowry; it even stands in no fear of an action for ill-usage, n...	[]
The Wrasse has its haunts and resorts among the rocks and near cavernous burrows. The males all have many wives and resign the hollow places, as though they were women's chambers, to their brides. This refinement in their mating, and the propensity which they enjoy for having many wives one might describe as characteri...	[ { "start": 443, "end": 448, "label": "ETHNIC" }, { "start": 453, "end": 461, "label": "ETHNIC" } ]
A fisherman who is skilled in angling a Wrasse fastens a heavy piece of lead to his hook, wraps round it a large prawn, and drops the bait. And then he moves the line a little, rousing and egging on his prey to take the food, while the prawn by its movement conveys the impression that it intends to enter the Wrasse's d...	[]
Among fishes the 'Blue-grey' is a model father. He maintains a strenuous watch over his mate's offspring, to ensure that they are not attacked or injured. And all the while that they are swimming the sea happily and without fear he never relaxes his vigilance, and sometimes brings up the rear and sometimes does not, bu...	[]
Directly the Dog-fish has produced its young, it has them swimming by its side, and there is no delay. But if any one of them is afraid, it slips back into its mother's womb. Later, when its fear has passed, it emerges, as though it were being born again.	[]
Men admire women for their devotion to their children, yet I observe that mothers whose sons or whose daughters have died, continued to live and in time forgot their sufferings, their grief having abated. But the female Dolphin far surpasses all creatures in its devotion to its offspring. It produces two. . . . And whe...	[]
The Horned Ray is born in the mud, and though at the time of birth it is very small, it grows from that size to be enormous. Its belly beneath is white; its back, its head, and its sides are a deep black; its mouth however is small, and its teeth — when it opens its mouth, you cannot see them. Further, it is exceedingl...	[]
All other songsters sing sweetly and use their tongue to utter, as men do, but Cicadas produce their incessant chatter from their loins. They feed upon dew, and from dawn until about midday remain silent. But when the sun enters upon his hottest period, they emit their characteristic clamour — industrious members of a ...	[]
Men say that it was the goddess Ergane who invented weaving and spinning, but it was Nature that trained the Spider to weave. The practice of its craft is not due to any imitation, nor does it obtain spinning matter from any external source, but produces the threads from its own belly and then contrives snares for flim...	[]
Historians praise the Babylonians and Chaldaeans for their knowledge of the heavenly bodies. But Ants, though they neither look upwards to the sky nor are able to count the days of the month on their fingers, nevertheless have been endowed by Nature with an extraordinary gift. Thus, on the first day of the month they s...	[ { "start": 22, "end": 33, "label": "ETHNIC" } ]
The fish known as the Sargue has its home among rocks and hollows, which however have in them narrow clefts so that the rays of the sun can penetrate within and fill these fissures with light. For Sargues like all the light there is, but have an even greater craving for the sunbeams. They live in great numbers in the s...	[]
The male Viper couples with the female by wrapping himself round her. And she allows her mate to do this without resenting it at all.' When however they have finished their act of love, the bride in reward for his embraces repays her husband with a treacherous show of affection, for she fastens on his neck and bites it...	[]
Should you this year set eyes on a male Hyena, next year you will see the same creature as a female; conversely, if you see a female now, next time you will see a male. They share the attributes of both sexes and are both husband and wife, changing their sex year by year. So then it is not through extravagant tales but...	[]
As men fight for beautiful women, so do animals fight for their females, goats with goats, bulls with bulls, and rams with their rivals in love for sheep. Even the Black Sea-bream wax wanton for their females. They are born in what men call rough places, and are jealous, and one may see them fighting vigorously for the...	[ { "start": 164, "end": 173, "label": "PLACE" } ]
The Octopus feeds first on one thing and then on another, for it is terribly greedy and for ever plotting some evil, the reason being that it is the most omnivorous of all sea-animals. The proof of this is that, should it fail to catch anything, it eats its own tentacles, and by filling its stomach so, finds a remedy f...	[]
A horse's carcase is the breeding-place of Wasps. For as the carcase rots, these creatures fly out of the marrow: the swiftest of animals begets winged offspring: the horse, Wasps.	[]
The Owl is a wily creature and resembles a witch. And when captured, it begins by capturing its hunters. And so they carry it about like a pet or (I declare) like a charm on their shoulders. By night it keeps watch for them and with its call that sounds like some incantation it diffuses a subtle, soothing enchantment, ...	[]
The Basse is a victim of the Prawn and is inclined to be (if I may be allowed the jest) the greatest gourmet among fish. So being lake-dwellers they lie in wait for the lake Prawns. These are of three kinds: the first are such as I have already mentioned; the second subsist on seaweed, while the third kind live on the ...	[]
Strength of claws and sharpness of fangs make bears, wolves, leopards, and lions bold, whereas the Porcupine, which (I am told) has not these advantages, none the less has not been left by Nature destitute of weapons wherewith to defend itself. For instance, against those who would attack it with intent to harm it disc...	[]
Enmity and inborn hate are a truly terrible affliction and a cruel disease when once they have sunk deep into the heart even of brute beasts, and nothing can purge them away. For instance, the Moray loathes the Octopus, and the Octopus is the enemy of the Crayfish, and to the Moray the Cray-fish is most hostile. The Mo...	[]
The fish known as the Moray lives in the sea, and when the net encircles it, it swims hither and thither, seeking with great cleverness some weak mesh or some rent in the net. And when it has found such a place, it slips through and swims free once again. And if one of them has this good fortune, all the others of its ...	[]
Whenever fishermen who are skilled in these matters plan to catch a Cuttlefish, the fish on realising this emits the ink from its body, pours it over itself and envelops itself so as to be entirely invisible. The fisherman's sight is deceived: though the fish is within view, he does not see it. It was by veiling Aeneas...	[]
Even brute beasts protect themselves against the eyes of sorcerers and wizards by some inexplicable and marvellous gift of Nature. For instance, I s am told that as a charm against sorcery ring-doves nibble off the fine shoots of the bay-tree, and then insert them in their nests as a protection for their young. Kites t...	[]
The fish known as Torpedo produces the effect implied in its name on whatever it touches and makes it 'torpid' or numb. And the Sucking-fish clings to ships, and from its action we give it its name, Ship-holder. While the Halcyon is sitting, the sea is still and the winds are at peace and amity. It lays its eggs about ...	[]
Storks have a very clever device for warding off the bats that would damage their eggs: one touch from the bats turns them to wind-eggs and makes them infertile. Accordingly, this is the remedy they use to prevent this happening. They lay the leaves of a plane-tree upon their nests, and directly the bats come near the ...	[]
(i). The Elephant has a terror of a horned ram and of the squealing of a pig. It was by these means, they say, that the Romans turned to flight the elephants of Pyrrhus of Epirus, and that the Romans won a glorious victory. This same animal is overcome by beauty in a woman and lays aside its temper, quite stunned by th...	[ { "start": 120, "end": 126, "label": "ETHNIC" }, { "start": 172, "end": 178, "label": "PERSON" }, { "start": 193, "end": 199, "label": "ETHNIC" }, { "start": 343, "end": 353, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 357, "end": 362, "label": "PLACE" ...
Those who have a thorough understanding of the matter hunt Sting-rays, and it is chiefly in this way that their efforts are successful. They take their stand and dance and sing very sweetly. And the Sting-rays are soothed by the sound and are charmed by the dancing and draw nearer, while the men withdraw gently step by...	[]
The Great Tunny, as it is called, is a monstrous fish and knows well what is best for it. This gift it has acquired by nature and not by art. For instance, when the hook has pierced it, it dives to the bottom and thrusts and dashes itself against the ground, striking its mouth in its effort to eject the hook. If that f...	[]
The Melanurus is the most timid of fishes, and to its timidity fishermen bear witness, for it is not (b caught in weels nor does it go near them; but if by chance a dragnet encircles it, then it is caught without knowing it. And whenever the sea is fairly calm and smooth, these fish lie quiet down below upon the rocks ...	[]
Among birds the Eagle has the keenest sight. And Homer is aware of this and testifies to the fact in the story of Patroclus when he compares Menelaus to the bird, at the time when he was searching for Antilochus, that he might despatch him to Achilles as a messenger, unwelcome indeed but necessary, to announce the fate...	[ { "start": 597, "end": 602, "label": "DEMONYM" } ]
Among birds the Nightingale has the clearest and most musical voice, and fills solitary places with its most lovely and thrilling note. Further, they say that its flesh is good for keeping one awake. But people who feast upon such food are evil and dreadfully foolish. And it is an evil attribute of food that it drives ...	[]
The screaming of Cranes brings on showers, so they say, while their brain possesses some kind of spell that leads women to grant sexual favours — if those who first observed the fact are sufficient guarantee.	[]
If a man burn the feathers of a Vulture (so I am told), he will have no difficulty in inducing snakes to quit their dens and lurking-places. The bird 'Woodpecker' derives its name from what Q it does. For it has a curved beak with which it pecks oak-trees, and deposits its young in them as in a nest; and it has no need...	[]
The Four-toothed Sparus is not solitary nor does it endure loneliness and separation from its kind. These fish love to congregate together according to their age: the younger ones swim about in shoals, the maturer ones also keep together. And as the saying is true 'A friend must be of one's own age,' so these creatures...	[]
All through the summer the Raven is afflicted with a parching thirst, and with his croaking (so they say) declares his punishment. And the reason they give is this. Being a servant he was sent out by Apollo to draw water. He came to a field of corn, tall but still green, and waited till it should ripen, as he wanted to...	[]
The Raven, they say, is a sacred bird and attends upon Apollo: that is why men agree that it is also of use in divination, and those who understand the positions of birds, their cries, and their flight whether on the left or on the right hand, are able to divine by its croaking. I am also informed that Raven's eggs tur...	[]
The Bee-eater flies (so they say) in precisely the opposite way to all other birds, for they move forward in the direction in which they look, while the Bee-eater flies backwards. And I am astonished at the remarkable, incredible, and uncommon character of the motion with which this creature wings its way.	[]
Whenever the Moray is filled with amorous impulses it comes out of the sea on to land seeking eagerly for a mate, and a very evil mate. For it goes to a Viper's den and the pair embrace. And they do say that the male Viper also in its frenzied desire for copulation goes down to the sea, and just as a reveller with his ...	[]
The spine of a dead man, they say, transforms the putrefying marrow into a snake. The brute emerges, and from the gentlest of beings crawls forth the fiercest. Now the remains of those that were fine and noble are at rest and their reward is peace, even as the soul also of such men has the rewards which wise men celebr...	[]
A Swallow is a sign that the best season of the year is at hand. And it is friendly to man and takes pleasure in sharing the same roof with this being. It comes uninvited, and when it pleases and sees fit, it departs. Men welcome it in accordance with the law of hospitality laid down by Homer, who bids us cherish a gue...	[]
The Goat has a certain advantage (over other animals) in the manner of taking breath, as the narratives of shepherds tell us, for it inhales through its ears as well as through its nostrils, and has a sharper perception than any other cloven-hoofed animal. The cause of this I am unable to tell; I have only told what I ...	[]
They say that the bite of the Viper and of other snakes is not without countering remedies. Some, I am told, are to be drunk, others are to be applied; spells too can mitigate poison injected by a sting. But the bite of the Asp alone, I am told, cannot be cured and is beyond help. This creature truly deserves to be hat...	[]
There are three kinds of Sea-hound. The first is of enormous size and may be reckoned among the most daring of sea monsters. The others are of two kinds, they live in the mud and reach to a cubit in length. Those that are speckled one may call galeus (small shark), and the rest, if you call them Spiny Dog-fish you will...	[]
The barb of the Sting-ray nothing can withstand. It wounds and kills instantly, and even those fishermen who have great knowledge of the sea dread its weapon. For no man can heal the wound, nor will the creature that inflicted it; that was a gift vouchsafed, most probably, to the ashen spear from mount Pelion alone.	[ { "start": 304, "end": 310, "label": "PLACE" } ]
The Cerastes is a small creature; it is a snake, and above its brow it has two horns, and these horns are like those of the snail, though unlike the snail's they are not soft. Now these snakes are the enemies of all other Libyans, but towards the Psylli, as they are called, they are gently disposed, for the Psylli are ...	[ { "start": 222, "end": 229, "label": "ETHNIC" }, { "start": 777, "end": 784, "label": "ETHNIC" }, { "start": 1351, "end": 1357, "label": "DEMONYM" }, { "start": 1533, "end": 1540, "label": "ETHNIC" } ]
The following creatures plot and make war against Bees: the creatures known as Titmice and enem their young, also Wasps and Swallows and Snakes and Spiders and [Moths?]. Bees are afraid of these, and so bee-keepers try to drive them away by using flea-bane as a fumigant or by placing or scattering poppies still green b...	[]
The elder Cyrus, they say, was filled with pride at the palace in Persepolis which he himself hives had caused to be built; Darius likewise at the magnificence of his buildings at Susa, for he it was who contrived those far-famed dwelling-places. Cyrus the Second with his own royal hands and clothed in his habitual del...	[ { "start": 66, "end": 76, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 180, "end": 184, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 412, "end": 417, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 500, "end": 507, "label": "PERSON" }, { "start": 544, "end": 549, "label": "PLACE" } ...
According to one story the King Bees are stingless; according to another they are born with stings of great strength and trenchant sharpness; and yet they never use them against a man nor against bees: the stings are a pretence, an empty scare, for it would be wrong for one who rules and directs such numbers to do an i...	[]
BOOK II When Cranes are about to leave their Thracian haunts and the frosts of Thrace, they collect on the river Hebrus, and when each one has swallowed a stone by way of food and as ballast against the onslaught of winds, they prepare to emigrate and to set out for the Nile, longing for the warmth and for the food tha...	[ { "start": 79, "end": 85, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 113, "end": 119, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 271, "end": 275, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 591, "end": 596, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 711, "end": 720, "label": "ETHNIC" },...
That living creatures should be born upon the Fire-mountains, in the air, and in the sea, is no great marvel, since matter, food, and nature are the cause. But that there should spring from fire winged creatures which men call 'Fire-flies,' and that these should live and flourish in it, flying to and fro about it, is a...	[]
With other birds the hen is mounted by the cock, swallow so they say; not so Swallows: their manner of coupling mating is the reverse. Nature alone knows the reason for this. But the common explanation is that the hens are afraid of Tereus, and fear lest one day he steal secretly upon them and enact a fresh tragedy. No...	[ { "start": 608, "end": 613, "label": "PLACE" } ]
There are creatures called Ephemera (living only for a day) that take their name from their span of life, for they are generated in wine, and when the vessel is opened they fly out, see the light, and die. Thus it is that Nature has permitted them to come to life, but has rescued them as soon as possible from life's ev...	[]
Men have, it is true, recovered after a long while from the bite of an Asp, either by summoning excision to their aid or with the utmost fortitude enduring cautery, or they have in their plight prevented the poison from spreading by taking the necessary medicines. The Basilisk measures but a span, yet at the sight of i...	[]
The Dolphin's love of music and its affectionate nature are a constant theme, the Corinthians singing of the former (with whom the Lesbians concur), the latter with the inhabitants of Ios. The Lesbians tell the story of Arion of Methymna; what happened in Ios with the beautiful boy and his swimming and the Dolphin is t...	[ { "start": 82, "end": 93, "label": "ETHNIC" }, { "start": 131, "end": 139, "label": "ETHNIC" }, { "start": 184, "end": 187, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 193, "end": 201, "label": "ETHNIC" }, { "start": 229, "end": 237, "label": "PERSON" ...
Archelaus tells us that in Libya mules that have been wounded or which have succumbed from thirst are thrown out for dead in great numbers. And frequently a multitude of snakes of all kinds comes streaming up to eat their flesh, but whenever they hear the hiss of the Basilisk they disappear as swiftly as possible into ...	[ { "start": 27, "end": 32, "label": "PLACE" } ]
There are stories which reach us from Euboea of fisher-folk in those parts sharing their catch equally Doiphi with the Dolphins in those parts. And I am told that they fish in this way. The weather must be calm, and if it is, they attach to the prow of their boats some hollow braziers with fire burning in them, and one...	[ { "start": 38, "end": 44, "label": "PLACE" } ]
A Deer defeats a snake by an extraordinary gift that Nature has bestowed. And the fiercest snake lying in its den cannot escape, but the Deer applies its nostrils to the spot where the venomous creature lurks, breathes into it with the utmost force, attracts it by the spell, as it were, of its breath, draws it forth ag...	[]
The Horse is generally speaking a proud creature, the reason being that his size, his speed, his tall neck, the suppleness of his limbs, and the clang of his hooves make him insolent and vain. But it is chiefly a Mare with a long mane that is so full of airs and Graces. For instance, she scorns to be covered by an ass,...	[]
Touching the sagacity of Elephants I have spoken elsewhere; and further, I have spoken too of the manner of hunting them, mentioning but a few of the numerous facts recorded by others. For the present I intend to speak of their sense for music and their readiness to obey and their aptitude for learning things which are...	[ { "start": 946, "end": 951, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 958, "end": 966, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 973, "end": 978, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 1388, "end": 1392, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 1757, "end": 1763, "label": "ETHNIC...
The Hare has certain innate characteristics. For one thing it sleeps with its eyelids open; for another it proclaims its age when it half shows certain apertures, Also it carries some of its young halfformed in its womb, some it is in process of bearing, others it has already borne.	[]
All the large fishes, with the exception of the Shark, require a leader, and are guided by its eyes. The leader is a small, slim fish with an elongated head, but its tail is narrow, according to the authorities on the subject. But whether Nature has conferred upon each large fish the aforesaid guide, or whether it asso...	[]
The Chameleon is not disposed to remain of one and the same colour for men to see and recognise, but it conceals itself by misleading and deceiving the eye of the beholder. Thus, if you come across one that appears black, it changes its semblance to green, as though it had changed its clothes; then again it assumes a b...	[]
You must know that the Pilot-fish frequents the open sea and loves to dwell in the depths more than all others of which we have heard tell. But either it detests the land or the land detests the fish. Well, when vessels are cleaving the mid-ocean these Pilot-fish swim up as though they were in love with them and attend...	[]
If at any time a flush or a pallor appears on a man's bare and hairless skin it causes no astonishment. But the animal known as Tarandus (elk?) transforms itself hair and all, and can adopt such an infinite variety of colours as to bewilder the eye. It is a native of Scythia and in its [hide?] and its size resembles a ...	[ { "start": 268, "end": 275, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 334, "end": 343, "label": "ETHNIC" } ]
There is a fish whose province is the open sea, black in appearance, as long as an eel of moderate size, and deriving its name from what it does: with evil purpose it meets a vessel running at full speed before the wind, and fastening its teeth into the front of the prow, like a man vigorously curbing with bit and tigh...	[]
In Homer skill in treating the wounded and persons in need of medicine goes back as far as the Age third generation of pupil and master. Thus Patroclus, son of Menoetius, is taught the healing art by Achilles, and Achilles, son of Peleus, is taught by Cheiron, son of Cronus. And heroes and children of the gods learnt a...	[]
[And here is another strange feature peculiar to this animal.) The Bear is unable to produce a cub, nor would anyone allow, on seeing its offspring immediately after birth, that it had borne a living thing. Yet the Bear has been in labour, though the lump of nondescript flesh has no distinguishing mark, no form, and no...	[]
All Bulls have inflexible and rigid horns, and this is why, just as a man puts passion into his weapons, so a bull puts passion into its horns. But the oxen of Erythrae can move their horns as they do their ears.	[ { "start": 160, "end": 168, "label": "PERSON" } ]
The land of Ethiopia (the place where the gods bathe, celebrated by Homer under the name of Ocean, is an excellent and desirable neighbour), this land, I say, is the mother of the very largest Serpents. For, you must know, they attain to a length of one hundred and eighty feet, and they are not called by the name of an...	[ { "start": 12, "end": 20, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 451, "end": 459, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 492, "end": 499, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 522, "end": 529, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 686, "end": 695, "label": "PLACE" } ]
Sprats are born of mud; they neither beget nor are begotten of one another, but when the mud in the sea becomes altogether slimy and thick and turns black, it is warmed by some inexplicable and life-giving principle, undergoes a transformation, and is changed into innumerable living creatures. The Sprats are these crea...	[]
Should you strike a Lizard with a stick and either on purpose or by accident cut it in two, neither of the two parts is killed, but each moves separately and by itself, and lives, both the one and the other trailing on two feet. Then when the parts meet — for the forepart frequently unites with the hinder — the two joi...	[]
The poison of serpents is a thing to be dreaded, but that of the Asp is far worse. Nor are remedies and antidotes easy to discover, however ingenious one may be at beguiling and dispelling acute pains. Yet after all there is in man also a certain mysterious poison, and this is how it has been discovered. If you capture...	[]
In the summertime when the harvest is in Tie and the corn is being threshed on the threshing-floor, Ants assemble in companies, going in single file or two abreast — indeed they sometimes go three abreast — after quitting their homes and customary shelters. Then they pick out some of the barley and the wheat and all fo...	[]
At no time does the Eagle need water or long for a dusting-place; he is on the contrary superior to thirst and looks for no medicine for weariness from any outside source, but scorning water and repose tie cleaves the atmosphere and gazes with piercing eye from the vast expanse of heaven on high. And at the mere sound ...	[]
The Ostrich is covered with thick feathers, but its nature does not permit it to rise from the ground and mount aloft into the sky. Yet its speed is very great, and when it spreads its wings on either side, the wind meeting them causes them to belly like sails.	[]
Among birds the Bustard is, I am told, the most fond of horses. And the proof of this is that it scorns all other animals that live in field or glen, but that when it catches sight of a horse, it delights to fly up to it and to keep it company, just like men who are devoted to horses.	[]
When a Fly falls into the water, though it is of all creatures the most daring, yet it can neither run upon the surface nor swim, and hence it drowns. If however you pick out the dead body, sprinkle ashes upon it, and place it in the sunshine, you will bring the Fly to life again.	[]
If you want to add a Cockerel, whether bought or presented, to your flock of domestic fowls, you must not release him nor let him loose at random and in a casual way; otherwise he will immediately desert and go back to his own kin and mates, however far away from them he be. So you must set upon him a guard and fetters...	[]
The Salamander is not indeed one of those fire-born creatures like the so-called 'Fire-flies,' yet it is as bold as they and encounters the flame and is eager to fight it like an enemy. And the proof of this is as follows. Its haunts are among artisans and craftsmen who work at the forge. Now so long as their fire is a...	[]
The Swan is assigned by poets and many prose-writers as servant to Apollo, but in what other relation it stands to music and song I do not know. Yet the ancients believed that when it has sung what is called its 'swan-song,' it dies. In that case Nature honours it more highly than it does noble and upright men, and rig...	[]
Many writers tell us about the size of the Crocodile both when fully grown and when first hatched, and further, about its tongue, and whether it moves its jaw and which jaw it closes upon the other. There are those too who have observed that this animal lays as many eggs as the days during which it sits upon them befor...	[]
If these facts are certain and beyond dispute, then let this story from India carry conviction, bird What I propose to tell has been brought from thence by report and is as follows. I have learnt from the son of Nicomachus (Aristotle) that there is a bird named Cinnamon like the plant, and that the bird brings this pla...	[ { "start": 72, "end": 77, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 356, "end": 363, "label": "ETHNIC" } ]
The Egyptians assert that a knowledge of clysters and intestinal purges is derived from no discovery of man's, but they commonly affirm that it was the Ibis that taught them this remedy. And how it instructed those who were the first to see it, some other shall tell. And I have also heard that it knows when the moon is...	[ { "start": 4, "end": 13, "label": "ETHNIC" } ]
The Sting-ray in the sea has a far fiercer and more dangerous sting than all other creatures. The proof is that if you fix it in a flourishing tree that has grown to a great height, then without any delay, before any time has elapsed, the tree immediately withers. And if you allow the sting to scratch any living creatu...	[]
So long as the Shrew-mouse proceeds as chance directs, it can live, and Nature is on friendly terms with it, unless it is overtaken by misfortune from some other quarter and is killed. When however it falls into a rut, it is caught, so to say, in quite invisible fetters and dies. The remedy for a man who has been bitte...	[]
Here is another story relating to the Egyptian Ibis which I have heard. The bird is sacred to the moon. At any rate it hatches its eggs in the same number of days that the goddess takes to wax and to wane, and never leaves Egypt. The reason for this is that Egypt is the moistest of all countries and the moon is believe...	[ { "start": 38, "end": 46, "label": "DEMONYM" }, { "start": 223, "end": 228, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 258, "end": 263, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 404, "end": 409, "label": "PLACE" }, { "start": 790, "end": 796, "label": "PLACE" }...
There is, I am told, a species of eagle to which men have given the name of 'Golden Eagle,' though others call it Asterias (starred). And it is seldom seen. Aristotle says that it hunts fawns, hares, cranes, and geese of the farmyard. It is believed to be the largest of eagles; at any rate men say that it attacks bulls...	[]