Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

68 AGRICULTURA. AGRICULTURA.
a sort of endive. Impregnation took place about tween these a cross breed (miscellum) was usually
mid-winter, one gander being allowed to three reared for the market in a lofty edifice (lrEpirrTEfemales, who when the laying season, which was poTporeEoPv; 7replTrepeBv), constructed for the purearly in spring, approached, were shut up in a struc- pose. These buildings, placed under the charge
ture (x7WoXToo9KE1ov) consisting of a court (colors), of a columbarius, were frequently large enough to
surrounded by a high wall with a portico inside contain 5000, were vaulted, or roofed in with tiles,
containing receptacles (hlarae, cellae, speluncae), and furnished with one small entrance, but well
from two to three feet square, built of hewn stone lighted by means of large barred or latticed winor brick, well lined with chaff, for the eggs. In- dows (fenestrae Punicanae, s. reticulatae). The
cubation, according to the weather, lasted from walls, carefully stuccoed, were lined from top to
twenty-five to thirty days, during which period the bottom with rows of round-shaped nests with a
mothers were supplied by the custos with barley single small aperture (coIumbariai), often formed of
crushed in water. The goslings remained in the earthenware (fictilica), one being assigned to every
house for about ten days, and were fed upon po- pair, while in front of each row a plank was placed
lenta, poppy seed, and green cresses (nasturtium) upon which the birds alighted. A copious supply of
chopped in water, after which they were taken out fresh water was introduced for drinking and washin fine weather to feed in marshy meadows and ing; their food, consisting of the refuse of wheat
pools. It was found in practice most advantageous (excreta tritici), millet, vetches, peas, kidney-beans,
to employ barn-door hens to hatch the eggs, since and other leguminous seeds, was placed in narrow
they made more careful mothers; and in this case troughs ranged round the walls, and filled by pipes
the goose would lay three times in a season, first from without. Those pigeons, which were kept in
five eggs, then four, and lastly three. the country, being allowed to go out and in at will,
Goslings, when from four to six months old, supported themselves for a great part of the year
were shut up to fatten in dark warm coops (scyi- upon what they picked up in the fields, and were
naurium), where they were fed with barley pottage regularly fed (acceptant conditiva cibaria) for two
and fine flour moistened with water, being allowed or three months only; but those in or near a town
to eat and drink three times a day as much as were confined in a great measure to the reprOTepothey could swallow. In this way they became fit IrpoqEco0V, lest they should be snared or destroyed.
for the market in two months or less. A flock of They were very fruitful, since one pair would rear
geese furnished not only eggs but feathers also, for eight broods of two each in the course of a year,
it was customary to pluck them twice'a year, in and the young birds (pulli) very speedily arrived
spring and autumn, and the feathers were worth at maturity, and began forthwith to lay in their
five denarii (about three shillings and fourpence) a turn. Those set aside for the market had their
pound. (Varro, iii. 10; Colum. viii. 13; Plin. wing feathers plucked out and their legs broken,
H. N. x. 22; Pallad. i. 30.) and were then fattened upon white bread pre6. Ducks (ncates). The duck-house (v'noo- viously chewed (manducato candidofarciuntpane),
TpoqeEo0V) was more costly than the chenoboscium, A handsome pair of breeding pigeons of a good
for within its limits were confined, not only ducks, stock would fetch at Rome, towards the close of the
but querquedulae, phalerides, boscades (whatever republic, two hundred sesterces (upwards of a guinea
these may have been), and similar birds which and a half); if remarkably'fine, as high as a thouseek their food in pools and swamps. A flat piece sand (nearly eight guineas); and as much as sixof ground, if possible marshy, was surrounded by a teen hundred (more than thirteen pounds) was a
wall fifteen feet high, well stuccoed within and price sometimes asked, while Columella speaks of
without, along the course of which upon an ele- four thousand (upwards of thirty pounds) having
vated ledge (crepido) a series of covered nests been given in his time; and some persons were
(tecta cubilia) were formed of hewn stone, the said to have a hundred thousand (nearly a thouwhole open space above being covered over with a sand pounds sterling) invested in this kind of pronet or trellice work (ccatris superTositis). A shal- perty. The instinct which teaches pigeons to relow pond (piscine) was dug in the centre of the turn to the place where they have been fed was
enclosure, the margin formed of opus signineum, and remarked by the ancients, who were wont, for the
planted round with shrubs; through this flowed a sake of amusement, to bring them to the theatres
small stream which traversed the court in a sort of and there let them loose. (Varr. iii. 7; Colum.
canal into which was thrown food for the inmates, viii. 8; Plin. H. N. x. 52, 74, xi. 64, xviii. 42 ~
consisting of wheat, barley5 millet, acorns, grape Pallad. i. 24.)
skins, small crabs or cray fish, and other water
animals. The eggs were generally hatched by I. c. Ornithon, Avia-iUtm (pVmLOorpopEI7oV).
common hens, the precautions taken during incu- Onithonzes, in the restricted sense, were dibation and the rearing of the ducklings being the vided into two classes: 1. Those constructed for
same as in the case of pullets. (Var. iii. 11; pleasure merely being designed for the reception of
Column. viii. 15.) nightingales and other singing birds. 2. Those for
profit, in which thousands of wild birds were confined and fattened. Varro gives a very curious and
Pigeons (columbus, colunbua). Varro distin- minute description of an ornithon belonging to the
guishes two species or varieties, the one Genus first class, which he himself possessed, and Lusaxatile s. agreste, probably the Columbna livid of cullus endeavoured to combine the enjoyment of
naturalists, which was shy and wild, living in both, for he had a triclinium constructed in his
lofty turrets (sublimes turriculae), flying abroad Tusculan villa inside of an ornithon, delighting to
without restraint, and generally of a darkish colour, behold one set of birds placed upon the table ready
dappled, and without any admixture of white, the for his repast, while others were fluttering at the
other kind more tame (clementius), feeding about the windows by which the room was lighted. Ornidours of the farm, and for the most part white. Be- thones of the second class, with which alone we {re