22 Ulisse Aldrovandi

To those already mentioned, one might add the Cynomulgi, or similarly hairy Cynocephali, whose heads and muzzles prove them to be more beast than human. According to Lycosthenes, they possess an elegantly formed human body, except for a head that mimics the gaping maw of a dog; they are said to inhabit Northern Ethiopia.

Furthermore, Vincent of Beauvais records in his *Speculum Historiale* that this nation wanders through the regions of the Tartars without fear. In the depths of a bitter winter, they submerge themselves in water and then immediately roll in the dust until the mixture of dust and water freezes. They repeat this process several times until the thickness of the ice is capable of resisting the strikes of weapons and arrows. Once this is done, the tribe charges at the Tartars with great force; the arrows shot at them by their adversaries simply bounce back, and they cannot be harmed by any other weapons. Because of this, the Cynocephali, completely unscathed, making an assault