Chapter XXXI.—Method of Poisoning Goats.

And if one smear224    Or, “close up.” the ears of goats over with cerate, they say that they expire a little afterwards, by having their breathing obstructed. For this to them is the way—as these affirm—of their drawing their breath in an act of respiration. And a ram, they assert, dies,225    The words “death of a goat” occur on the margin of the ms. if one bends back (its neck)226    A similar statement is made, on the authority of Alcmæon, by Aristotle in his Histor. Animal., i. 2. opposite the sun. And they accomplish the burning of a house, by daubing it over with the juice of a certain fish called dactylus. And this effect, which it has by reason of the sea-water, is very useful. Likewise foam of the ocean is boiled in an earthen jar along with some sweet ingredients; and if you apply a lighted candle to this while in a seething state, it catches the fire and is consumed; and (yet though the mixture) be poured upon the head, it does not burn it at all. If, however, you also smear it over with heated resin,227    Μαννῇ is the word in the text. But manna in the ordinary acceptation of the term can scarcely be intended. Pliny, however, mentions it as a proper name of grains of incense and resin. The Abbe Cruice suggests the very probable emendation of μάλθῃ, which signifies a mixture of wax and resin for caulking ships. it is consumed far more effectually.  But he accomplishes his object better still, if also he takes some sulphur.

[31] Αἰγῶν δὲ κἂν ἐπιπ[λ]άσῃ τις κηρωτῇ τὰς ἀκοάς, φασὶ θνῄσκειν μετ' ὀλίγον, ἀναπνεῖν κωλυομένας: ὁδὸν γὰρ αὐταῖς ταύτην εἶναι λέγουσι τοῦ δι' ἀναπνοῆς ἑλκομένου πνεύματος. κριὸν δὲ θνῄσκειν φασὶν εἰ κατ' ἀντικρύ τις ἀνακλάσειεν ἡλίου [φῶς]. Οἶκον δὲ ποιοῦσι καίεσθαι τῶν θαλαττίων τινὸς ἰχῶρι χριόμενον, [οἷον] τοῦ καλουμένου δακτύλου. καὶ τὸ διὰ τῆς ἅλμης δὲ πάνυ χρήσιμον: ἔστι δὲ ἀφρὸς θαλάσσης, ἐν ὀστρακίνῳ στάμνῳ μετὰ γλυκέος ἡψημένος: ᾧ ζέσαντι λύχνον ἐὰν προσάγῃς καιόμενον, ἁρπάσαν τὸ πῦρ ἐξάπτεται: καὶ καταχυθὲν τῆς κεφαλῆς οὐ καίει τὸ σύνολον. εἰ δὲ καὶ μάννη[ν] ἐπιπάσσεις ζέοντι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐξάπτεται: βέλτιον δὲ δρᾷ εἰ καὶ θείου τι προσλάβοι.