"When an elephant has happened to devour a chameleon, which is of the same colour with the herbage, it counteracts this poison by means of the _wild olive_. Bears, when they have eaten of the fruit of the _Mandrake_, lick up numbers of Ants. The Stag counteracts the effect of poisonous plants by eating the _artichoke_. Wood pigeons, jackdaws, blackbirds, and partridges, purge themselves once a year by eating _bay_ leaves; pigeons, turtle-doves, and poultry, with _wall pellitory_, or _helxine_; ducks, geese, and other aquatic birds of a similar nature, with the _bulrush_. The raven, when it has killed a chameleon, a contest in which even the conqueror suffers, counteracts the poison by means of laurel."
Topsell mentions a fearful beast called the Su. "There is a region in the new-found world, called _Gigantes_, and the inhabitants thereof, are called _Patagones_; now, because their country is cold, being far in the South, they cloath themselves with the skins of a beast called in their owne toong _Su_, for by reason that this beast liveth for the most part neere the waters, therefore they cal it by the name of _Su_, which signifieth water. The true image thereof, as it was taken by _Thenestus_, I have heere inserted, for it is of a very deformed shape, and monstrous presence, a great ravener, and an untamable wilde beast.
"When the hunters that desire her skinne, set upon her, she flyeth very swift, carrying her yong ones upon her back, and covering them with her broad taile; now, for so much as no dogge or man dareth to approach neere unto her, (because such is the wrath thereof, that in the pursuit she killeth all that commeth near her:) The hunters digge severall pittes or great holes in the earth, which they cover with boughes, sticks, and earth, so weakly, that if the beast chance at any time to come upon it, she, and her young ones fall down into the pit, and are taken.
"This cruell, untamable, impatient, violent, ravening, and bloody beast, perceiving that her natural strength cannot deliver her from the wit and policy of men, her hunters, (for being inclosed, she can never get out againe) the hunters being at hand to watch her downfall, and worke her overthrowe, first of all to save her young ones from taking and taming, she destroyeth them all with her own teeth; for there was never any of them taken alive, and when she seeth the hunters come about her, she roareth, cryeth, howleth, brayeth, and uttereth such a fearefull, noysome, and terrible clamor, that the men which watch to kill her, are not thereby a little amazed; but, at last, being animated, because there can be no resistance, they approach, and with their darts and speares, wound her to death, and then take off her skin, and leave the Carcasse in the earth. And this is all that I finde recorded of this most strange beast."