‘Of the Sphinga or Sphinx’, in Edward Topsell, The Historie of Foure-Footed Beastes

Edward Topsell’s The Historie of Four-Footed Beastes was the first major book about animals to be published in English. It features a variety of creatures, from the common to the exotic and the legendary. In this chapter on the sphinx, Topsell describes an animal ‘of a fierce but tameable nature … having his body rough like Apes’. Less well known is its ability to store food in its cheeks – just like a guinea pig!