History of Monsters 549

occupied their usual position, and the remaining four projected from its back, as if representing another small hare. Since this monstrous leveret had been seen and observed by many there, it was later sent to Zurich as a marvelous specimen; the illustration of this leveret is labeled VII.

Among the genera of cloven-hoofed animals is a certain type of goat that Pliny calls *Capreae* and other Latin authors name *Capreoli* (roe deer). Aristotle later referred to them as *Dorcades*, a term Martial subsequently adopted in Latin when speaking of these animals, which were kept as favorites by Roman girls because of their elegant spots, as he writes: "You will give a gazelle (*Dorcas*) as a pet to your young son; the crowd is accustomed to toss this from their shaken togas."

Oppian mostly calls this animal *dorkos*, though he sometimes calls these roe deer *Iorces*—essentially *Dorcos* for the sake of the meter—in this manner: "They call them *iorkas* in the well-wooded glades." Indeed, in this passage, Oppian describes roe deer as having a deer-like body and a skin spotted all over, just like a panther; for this reason, the animal is very elegant, and it is no wonder if, as Martial reports, it was once a favorite pet. Virgil also describes a roe deer distinguished by spots in his second Eclogue, where Corydon promises two of them to the boy Alexis: "Furthermore, I have two roe deer, found by me in a dangerous valley, their skins even now sprinkled with white; twice a day they drain a ewe’s udders, and I am keeping them for you."

However, Servius, in his commentary on this passage, interprets these roe deer sprinkled with white spots as still being nursing young, for he asserts that this color changes over time and the spots begin to lose their charm. We have shared these details to provide a better understanding of the image we are presenting. Thus, among this kind of beast, a six-legged roe deer was once found, its coat elegantly variegated by Nature with white spots like a lynx. From this, we can conclude that the animal was still a suckling. It was six-footed (*hexapus*) because it had four hind legs in addition to two front legs. This animal is depicted in illustration VIII, together with the meadowsweet plant, which herbalists call the "Queen of the Meadow."

THE MULTIPLICATION OF FEET in the Offspring of Birds

If numerous monsters are produced among multiparous animals (as explained elsewhere), and also among Egyptian sheep and goats—which are more fertile than our local ones, and whose seminal matter is thus naturally inclined and disposed toward monstrous division—this will be even more clearly evident among all kinds of birds. Because of their numerous offspring—for birds often produce young with many feet since they mate frequently and conceive often—the embryos tend to fuse when they are in close proximity. Sometimes the whites in the eggs are continuous, separated by no intervening membrane; from this, monstrous chicks emerge, complete with many feet, many wings, and many heads. We can demonstrate this first in the poultry kind, and then among geese, ducks, pigeons, and other birds.

Moreover, within the poultry family, more monsters occur than in any other kind of animal. Therefore, we have decided to present several monstrous images here for the reader to see, many of which we ourselves have observed. We do this partly so that nothing is missing from this history of monsters, and partly so that readers may contemplate the various miracles of Nature.

The first, in the year of the world 3838, and before the birth