Of the (generation of Animals.
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A strong Indian-dog may be generated of a Tygre.
This is called by some, a Mastue; by others a Warrior, cr a Hircan-Dog. Aristotlecalls them Indian-dogs, and lakh, they are generated of a Dog and a Tygre; andelsewhere, of a dog and another wilde bead, but he names it not. Vim) writes,that the Indians intending to generate dogs of Tygres, tie the She-tygres in thewoods about rotting time ; and dogs coupling with them engender young: bur thefirst and second births they care not for, as being too fierce ; but the third theybring up, as being milder and fitter for their uses. o£lianw relates the story of thiskind of Dogs, out of Indian Writers: that the stoutest Bitches, and such as areswiftest to run, and best to hunt, are by the shepherds tied to certain Trees withinthe Tygres walk: as soon as the Tygres light upon them , if they have not beforemet with their prey, they devour them > but if they be full of meat, and hot in lust,then they couple with the Bitches; and so generate,not a Tygre,but a dog,theirfeeddegenerating into the mothers kind- And these dogs thus gendred, scorn to hunt:a Boar, cr an Hart j but a Lion they will set gallantly upon. A Noble man of In-dii made trial cf the valor cf these dog?, before Alexander the Great, on thismanner: first, he set an Hart before him; but the Dog scorning the Hart, stir-red not at him; next, a Boar, but neither stirred he at the Boar ; after thit a Bear,but he scorned the Bear too: last of all, a Lion ; then the Dog feeing that be bad aneven match m hand, rose up very furiously, and run upon the Lion, and took himby the throat, and stifled him. Then the Indian that shewed this sport, and knewwell this Dogs valour, first cut off his tail; but the Dog cared not for'his tail, incomparison of the Lion which he had in his mouth : next, he cut off one of hislegs; but theDog held fast his hold still, as if it had been none of his legs: afterthat, he caused another of bis legs to be broken; but the Dog still kept his hold £after that, bis third leg, and yet still he kept his hold : after that, his fourth leg, andyet the Dog was still as fierce upon the Lion, as at the first: Nay, when last of allhis head was cut eff fro m his body,yet st ill it stuck fast by the teeth in the fame place,where he took his first hold. Alexander seeing this, was much grieved for theDogs death, and greatly amazed at his valour, that he would rather suffer his life,then his courage to be taken from him. The Indian perceiving that, gave to Alex-ander four such Dogs; and he received them as a great Present, and accepted themgladly and thankfully: and moreover, rewarded the Indian that gave them, wfcha Princely recompence. This same story Fhi/estlfo writes. But Viodortu Siculusand Strabo, fay that Sopiths a King, give Alexander an hundred and fifty of theseDogs, all very huge and strong, and usually coupling with Tygres. And Polluxwrites the fame. And Plutarl ^ describes the Indian-dog, and bis fight before Alex-ander , as it is before related : Pliny writes, that the King of Albania gave Alexan-der a great Dog, wherewith he was much delighted: but when he brought the Dog,first Bears, then Eoars, and then Deer, and saw he would not touch them, beingmuch offended that so great a body should have so little courage, he caused him toht killed. The King that gave him, hearing this,sent him another, and withal char-ged the Messenger,that he should not betryed in small matches, but either with aLion or an Elephant. So then, Alexander caused a Lion to be set before him, andprefentjv the Dog killed him: afterward he tried him with an Elephant; and theDog bristled and barked at him, and assaulted him so artificially every way, till theEleph-p? was giddy with turning abonr, and so fell down and was killed. Qratimwritesef this kind of dogs, thus generated of a Bitch and a Tygre. There is alsoanother kind of Dogs
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