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THE NATURALL HISTORY
                CHAPTER              III.
              Whether the HIyna        'ras
                      kno-ven of old.
:fir.   T     Ellonius faith,yea~though the ancients
           i   obferved not the fxveet excrement of
        ..L.J the Civetta; fee thence the fhape is the
Ari.           fame with the old Hyxna, of the
        colour of the Wolf, but fhaggier, and long-
        nained , with black fpots, two under the eyes,
        the feet black-haired; thighs fpotted, the tail
        very long, black above, with white fpots be.
        neath; on the neck, and ridge of the back
        black-haired, which, when he is angry, hart up
        as Swines briftles: whence the fiih Glanis is
        called an Hyxna. Befides all old writers call
        the Hyxna a wilde Savage beaft, that the I
        Panthers ftrangely dread, and dare not Rand
        its , but fly, nor dare come near a piece of the
        skin; nay, hang up the skins over agaillnf each
Phn. izS. other, the Panthers hair falls off. Diverfe
        write of this enmity, and that the Civet-cat is l
        untameable. The beft reafon is, that the
/.hi. 16. Hyxna of old is faid (as by Ovid, and Pliny )
C Al.   yearely to change fex, and to gender with a
I (ij  male; which though it be falfe, and difavowed.
luItt fcr. By Ariftotles yet there is a vef cll in the Hyx-
A;,i ,  nam, that makes the lhcedles think it Epicene,
i j c.6.  or double-fexed. He is genitaled as wolves, and
6 K. A. dogs; and that other paflage is but for the ex-
        crements. And there is a female Hyxna, and
        under the tail of both is a flreake, but it is feen
        more in the males, which are oftner taken then
        the females.
l1‡:e. 117.  On1 the other fide, Scaliger derides thofe
l. 7i  that think the Hyxna, and Zivet to be the
   B (i* fame, and many others confute that opinion;
CI aii s  many things being faid of the Hyxna, that fit
A -     not our Civet-cat.  As firif, a hard skinnc, and
.I~ ~f a main, and neck, that are not the Civetta.
        Befides that there is no gum in the mouth, and
        1)ut one tooth, or one bone all along, flhutting
        like a box, but the Zivet hath many teeth.
           And fome write, that the Hyxina fains a
        mans voyce, and learns Shepheards names, to
        entrap them; and imiLates mans vomiting, to
        entice and catch dogs. But none of thefe are,
        as yet obferved in the taweft Civet-cat. But
        Bellonius might eafily confute  all this
        faying that thofe things are falfely afcribed to
        the Hyxna, as the flities of neck to the Lion
        by Ariftotle; and that Solinus fpeaks not of the
        H-yxna, but of the Crocuta, gendred between
        the Hyyxna, and Lioneff.. That thofe paffages
        are rather to be admired, then beleeved, as de-
        nied and confuted by fame writers, and in
sall   filence pafIed by others.  Adde , that the
Ea 2 I  l-Iyxna is Iio far from bcing untameable, that
        i Nicolus Ancifa, Marques of Mantuaes baftard
        fon, carried one on his lhoulders. And a Flo-
R It'l.  rentine Conful at Alexandria, had a Civet-cat,
        that tooke man by the nofe, eares, and lips, l
        without harml, playing with them. But thefe
        are but toies , for this is by nature wilde, but
may betamed, efpecially thc female.
  And for that above the mane , Bellonitns Arilt
might probably anfwvere, that the -Hyxna is as j l A.
big as a XVolf, yet but two handfulls high, and 1 I)
the mane is longer then the other hair,and may
hang to the ground ; as wee fee in Swine, the
briftles on the back are loniger then other hair;
and fo in our Civetta you may fty, why then
did not Ariltotle rather liken the Hyxnaes
mane to the Swines briftled creft, then the
Horfes mane: I anfwere,that perhaps he took
his defcription from  fome Indian Authour,
that had feen a Horfe , but not a Swine; for it
is not certain, that fuch Swine as ours are in
Indiaifo that Ariftotlc changed not his expref-
fion about the mane. Befides Scaliger gathers f,.
out of Ariltotle, that the place of the genitalls MNl .
of the Hyxna , and Civet is diverfc. And ?
Faber findes a contradi6tion in Scaliger, Ex. F. 'r
2 17. Cardan. p. 7.  But truth is , either
Ariftotle was deceived by a falfe relation, or
fome fault is in the text; or he is not to ba
underftood literally, and Itri6tly; but thus it
may be taken, that the Hyxna hath a ftreak
behind, but no paffhage, but the Civet hath two
paffages , and hollows ; one wherein the Civet
is gathered. But BUsbequius faith, hee faw
two Hyxnaes at Confiantinople, a litle lower,
but as long as a wolf, skind like the wolf, but
rougher haired, thicker , and fpotted with
black; the head huge, clofe to the back-bone,
without turning-joynts, that without turning
the whole body about, they could not looke
behinde them: and that in Galatia are very
many, found eafily out by their gathering of
carcafic-bones, mens, and others, to their den.
And To. Leo faith, he hath hands like a man,
and delights much in humane carcaffiesthat he No  Mr.
digs out of their graves; that they are but filly,
and are enticed out of their holes by finging,
or a drumlwhlich they love to liflen too,and io
are killed. Yet it is doubtfull, whether this
be the right Hyxna, having no mane, nor
genitals, nor qualities afcribed of old to them,
as if it were a mifchievous, and fubtile beaft;
that in Africa deftroyes many wilde AfiTs; cer- 1ij
tain males domineering over flocks of fe. C..
males, jealous of corrivals, guarding their fe-
males great with young; gueClillg their male-
brood with their teeth, tIeking out the ftmales
haunt, big with young, and being extremely
lufifull. Herein like our Civetta, whofe Civet
makes not themfelves onely prove to luft, but
mankind alfo, if annointed with it.  Referre
hither Philes his Creek verfes of the propertie
of beafts, and of the Hyana, no way agreeing
to the Zibet-cat; (Chap. 4 3. of the Land,
and Sea-Hyazna) the fumme is, that the Hyxna
changes Sexes, finding a manl afleep, puts the
right hand to his noftrils, to make his fleep
founder, lays the earth that was under his head
on his throat, and with embraces throttles him
fleeping. And the finnes of a Sea-Hyxnaes
right-fide with a touch, provoke fleep,flupifie,
and bring terrible dreams. The Hyxna de-
ceives, and devours dogs, amazing them with
                                       the
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