Ἰνδικά 15: Aelian. N. A. VIII, 7

15

Μεγασθένους ἀκούω λέγοντος περὶ τὴν τῶν Ἰνδῶν θάλατταν γίγνεσθαί τι ἰχθύδιον, καὶ τοῦτο μὲν ὅταν ζῇ, ἀθέατον εἶναι, κάτω πουνηχόμενον καὶ ἐν βυθῷ, ἀποθανὸν δὲ ἀναπλεῖν· οὗ τὸν ἁψάμενον λειποθυμεῖν καὶ ἐκθνήσκειν τὰ πρῶτα, εἶτα μέντοι καὶ ἀποθνήσκειν.

He (Megasthenes) 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-horned and have heads like those of deer; and also of reeds some of which grow straight up to the height of thirty orguiæ, while others grow along the ground to the length of fifty. They vary in thickness from three to six cubits in diameter.