[1808] The gecko, according to Littré.
[1809] This is incorrect; the bite of this animal, wherever found, is never fatal.—B.
[1810] This refers to what will be found stated in this Chapter, that stags conceal their horns, when they fall off, that they may not be used in medicine.—B.
[1811] This is mentioned by Aristotle, Plutarch, and Ælian, but it must be considered as very doubtful.—B.
[1812] See B. xviii. c. 74.
[1813] It seems that Pliny here attributes the blackening of the mouths of the stags to their turning up the earth with their muzzles; Aristotle, however, refers it to a constitutional cause, arising from their violent sexual excitement; Hist. Anim. B. vi. c. 29.—B.
[1814] Or seseli, probably hart-wort. See B. xx. c. 87, and B. xxv. c. 52.
[1815] We learn from Hardouin, that there has been much discussion respecting the plants or other substances which the female is supposed to eat after parturition. Aristotle, Hist. Anim. B. ix. c. 6, asserts that it eats the chorion, the membrane in which the fœtus has been enveloped, and afterwards the herb seselis. To make the account of Pliny agree with that of Aristotle, some of the commentators have even supposed, that chorion here means the name of a plant, and they have proposed to substitute the word chorion for aros in the text.—B. Aros is probably the present “Arum maculatum,” or wake-robin. See p. 307, N. [1846].
[1816] Aristotle, Plutarch, and Xenophon speak of the influence of music on these animals.—B.
[1817] Aristotle, ubi supra, mentions this respecting their ears; the same takes place, to a certain extent, with all animals that have large external auricles.—B.