Page:Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian.djvu/77

58 have tails five cubits long, hair grows on their forehead, and they have luxuriant beards hang- ing down their breast. Their face is entirely- white, and all the rest of the body black. They are tame and attached to man, and not malicious by nature like the apes of other countries. Fragm. XIV. - ^lian, Hist Anim, XVI. 41. Conf. Fragm. XII. 4. Of Winged Scorpions and Serpents, Megasthenes says there are winged scorpions in India of enormous size, which sting Europeans and natives alike. There are also serpents which are likewise winged. These do not go abi*oad during the day, but by night, when they let fall urine, which if it lights upon any one's skin at once raises putrid sores thereon. Such is the statement of Megasthenes. Fragm. XV. Strabo, XV. i. 56,— pp. 710-711. Of the Beasts of India, and the Eeed. He (Megasthenfe) says there are monkeys, rollers of rocks, which climb precipices whence they roll down stones upon their pursuers. •Most animals, he says, which are tame with us are wild in India, and he speaks of horses which are one-homed and have heads like those of deer ; 'and also of reeds some of which grow straight up to the height of thirty orguicey while II The orguia was foar cubiU, or equal to 6 feet 1 inch. •