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

AGRICULTU RA. AGRICULTURA. 69
at present concerned, were kept by poulterers (macel- 34, 35, 53, 58, 74; comp. Plaut. Mlfostell. i. 1. 44
larii), and others in the city, but the greater mnun- Juv. vi. 38.)
her were situated in Sabinum, because thrushes
were most abundant in that region. These huge
cages were formed by enclosing a space of ground II. a. Leporaria.
with high walls and covering it in with an arched Leporaric anciently were small walled paddocks,
roof. Water was introduced by pipes, and con- planted thickly with shrubs to give shelter; and inducted in numerous narrow channels, the windows tended, as the name implies, for the reception of
were few and small, that light might be excluded animals of the hare kind; viz. 1. The common grey
as much as possible, and that the prisoners might hare (Italicaur hoc nostruz, sc. enus). 2. The mounnot pine from looking out upon the open country, tain or white hare from the Alps, seldom brought
where their mates were enjoying freedom. Indeed, to Rome (toti candidi sunt). 3. Rabbits (cuniculi),
so sensitive were thrushes, and so apt to despond believed to be natives of Spain. These, at least
when first caught, that it was the practice to shut the first and third, bred rapidly, were caught occathem up for some time with other tame individuals sionally, shut up in boxes, fattened and sold. In
of their own kind ( ete-ani), who acted as decoys process of time, the name leporeaiumn2 was changed
(allectores), in reconciling them to captivity. In for the more appropriate term ~rbqporpo(pe7ov, since
the interior of this building numerous stakes (pali) a variety of wild animals, such as boars (apri),
were fixed upright, upon which the birds might stags (cervi), and roe deer (capseae), were proalight; long poles also (perticae) were arranged in cured from the hunter (venator), and shut up in
an inclined position resting against the walls with these parks, which now embraced several acres
spars nailed in rows across, and lofts were con- even in Italy, while in the provinces, especially
structed, all for the same purpose. Two smaller Transalpine Gaul, they frequently comprehended
apartments were attached, one in which the super- a circuit of many miles of hill and swamp, glade
intendant (curator) deposited the birds which died and forest. This space was, if possible, fenced
a natural death, in order that he might be able to by a wall of stone and lime, or of unburnt brick
square accounts with his master, the other, called and clay, or, where the extent rendered even the
the seclusorium, communicating with the great hall Ilatter too costly, by a strong paling (vacerra) formed
by a door, into which those birds wanted for the of upright stakes (stipites) drilled with holes (per
market were driven from time to time, and killed latus effbrantur),, through which poles (aneites) were
out of sight, lest the others might droop on witness- passed horizontally, the whole of oak or cork tree
ing the fate of their companions. timber, braced and, as it were, latticed by planks
Millet and wild berries were given freely, but nailed diagonally (seris transvresis clatrase), much
their chief food consisted of dry figs carefully in the fashion of wooden hurdles. Even in the
peeled (diligenterpinsita) and kneaded with far or largest enclosures it was necessary to support the
pollen into small lumps, which were chewed by per- animals in winter, and in those of moderate size
sons hired to perform this operation. The birds they were frequently tamed to such an extent, that
usually kept in an ornithon have been mentioned they would assemble at the sound of a horn to reabove, but of these by far the most important were ceive their food. (Varr. iii. 12; Colum. ix. 1;
thrushes, which made their appearance in vast Plih. H. N. viii. 52..)
flocks about the vernal equinox, and seem to have Bees (apes). The delight experienced in the
been in great request; for out of a single establish- management of these creatures is sufficiently proved
ment in Sabinum, in the time of Varro, five thousand by the space and care devoted to the subject in
were sometimes sold in a single year at the rate of Virgil, and by the singularly minute instructions
three denarii a head, thus yielding a sum of 60,000: contained in the agricultural writers, especially in
sesterces, about five hundred pounds sterling. Columella, who derived his materials from the still
The manure from ornithones containing thrushes more elaborate compilations of Hyginus and Celand blackbirds was not only a powerful stimulant sus, the former being the author of a regular bee
to the soil, but was given as food to oxen and pigs, calendar, in w.hich the various precepts for the
who fattened on it rapidly. guidance of the, bee fancier (mellarius, apiaries;
Turtle doves (turtures, dim. turtwrillae) belonged LEXLzroupybs, snelitusrgus) were arranged in regular
to the class which did not lay eggs in captivity order according to the seasons and days of the year.
(nec parit nee excludit), and consequently, as The methods which the ancients describe differ
soon as caught, were put up to fatten (volatura little, even in trifling details, from those followed by
ita ut capitur farturac destinatzr). They were ourselves, although in some respects our practice is
not however confined in an ordinary ornithon but inferior, since they never destroyed a hive for the
in a building similar to a dove-cote, with this dif- sake of its contents, but abstracted a portion of the
ference, that the interior, instead of being fitted up honey only, always leaving a sufficient supply for
with columbaria, contained rows of brackets (mutu- the support of the insects in winter; and the same
los), or short stakes projecting horizontally from the swarm, occasionally reinforced by young recruits,
wall and rising tier above tier. Over each row, might thus continue for ten years, which was rethe lowest of which was three feet from the ground, garded as the limit. Our superior knowledge of
Iempen mats (tegeticulae cannabinae) were stretched, natural history has however enabled us to detercn which the birds reposed day and night, while mine that the chief of the hive is always a female,
nets were drawn tight in front to prevent them not a male (rex) as was the general belief; to ascerfrom flying about, which would have renldered them tain the respective duties performed by the queen,
lean. They fattened readily in harvest time, de- the working bees, and drones (fuci s. fares), which
lighting most in dry wheat, of which one-half were unknown or confounded; and to reject the
modius per day was sufficient for 120 turtles, or in absurd fancy, to which however we are indebted
millet moistened with sweet wine. (Varr. iii. 8; for the most charming episode in the Geqrgics,
Collm. viii. 9; Pallad. i. 25; Plin. M. 12. x. 24, which originated with the Greeks, and is repeated
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