2792 Our periwinkles.

2793 Dalechamps takes this to mean “without horns:” and Hardouin is of opinion that it means “genuine” or “unmixed.” In either sense, the word is derived from the Greek.

2794 He has omitted to do so.

2795 “Humida tussis.”

2796 See c. 12 of this Book.

2797 Our “cricket.” The troxallis was probably a kind of locust, still known to naturalists by that name.

2798 “Protropum.” Wine of the first running.

2799 “Carmen.” Holland says “the aforesaid charm:” but this does not appear from the context. From the account, however, given by Marcus Empiricus, we learn that the charm, thus repeated twenty-seven times, is the same as that already given.

2800 Or “wolf.” See B. xi. c. 28.

2801 See B. xxix. c. 28

2802 Or woodlouse. See B. xxix. c. 39.

2803 In B. xxix. c. 36.

2804 See B. xxix. c. 36.

2805 The iliac passion, or ileus volvulus.

2806 In c. 16 of this Book.

2807 A kind of bustard. See B. x. cc. 29, 50, and c. 45 of this Book.

2808 See c. 14 of this Book, where a similar notion is mentioned.

2809 There were three consuls of this name, L. Nonius Asprenas, A.D. 7; L. Nonius Asprenas, A.D. 29; and P. Nonius Asprenas, A.D. 38. They are mentioned also by Suetonius, Tacitus, Dion Cassius, Frontinus, and Seneca.

2810 See c. 14 of this Book.

2811 See B. viii. c. 56.

2812 This passage is omitted by Sillig as an evident interpolation from the context a couple of lines below.

2813 The belief in lithontriptics can hardly be said to exist at the present day. Ajasson refers to the grant made by the British Parliament of £5000 to Mrs. Stephens for her lithontriptic!!

2814 In c. 16 of this Book.

2815 See B. xxix. c. 39.

2816 See B. xxxiv. c. 33.

2817 It can hardly be said to add to his fame.

2818 See B. xiv. c. 4.

2819 In B. xxix. c. 36 and in c. 19 of this Book.

2820 See B. xxxii. c. 35.

2821 Ajasson remarks that this may probably be useful.

2822 See B. xxxv. cc. 12, 13.

2823 “Acetabuli mensurâ” seems a preferable reading to “aceto mensurâ,” which makes no sense.

2824 See B. xxi. c. 56.

2825 See B. xviii. c. 17.

2826 “Subluviem.” The same, probably, as the disease of the fingers which he elsewhere calls “paronychia,” and perhaps identical with whitlow.

2827 See B. xxiii. c. 13.

2828 A popular fallacy of Pliny’s time. See B. xi. c. 40.

2829 Spectres and nightmare.

2830 The serpent so called.

2831 See B. viii. c. 35.

2832 In c. 12 of this Book. Woodlice are meant.

2833 See B. viii. c. 49.

2834 A cozener, cheat, or rogue. Ajasson has a page of discussion on the origin of this appellation.

2835 In B. xxix. c. 16.

2836 See B. xvi. c. 6.

2837 Like our game poultry.

2838 This word being also the Greek name for the jaundice.

2839 See B. x. c. 50. The Witwall.

2840 “Bastard-wasp.”

2841 “Rostellum.” Holland renders it “The little prettie snout’s end of a mouse.”

2842 Of cowdung. It was supposed that there was no female scarabæus, and that the male insect formed these balls for the reproduction of its species. It figures very largely in the Egyptian mythology and philosophy as the emblem of the creative and generative power. It has been suggested that its Coptic name “skalouks” is a compound Sanscrit word, signifying—“The ox-insect that collects dirt into a round mass.” See B. xi, c. 34.

2843 Probably the “lucanus” mentioned in B. xi. c. 34; supposed to be the same as the stag-beetle.

2844 The “fuller,” apparently. This name may possibly be derived, however, from the Greek φυλλὸν, a “leaf.”

2845 See B. xi. c. 38.

2846 Some suppose that this was an insect that lived among dry wood, and derive the name from the Greek φρυγανὸν. Queslon is of opinion that it is the salamander.

2847 The “wolf” spider. See c. 17 of this Book.

2848 See B. xxxiv. c. 33.

2849 Ajasson remarks that, in reality, this is not blood, but a kind of viscous liquid.

2850 “Digitus medicus”—“The physician’s finger,” properly. Why the fourth finger, or that next to the little finger, was thus called, it seems impossible to say.

2851 See B. xii. c. 51.

2852 See B. xxxiv. c. 34.

2853 See B. xxxv. cc. 12, 13.

2854 “Cosses.”

2855 Dioscorides speaks of this honey as the produce of Sicily.

2856 The “creeper.” It has not been identified.

2857 Which are also called “herpetic” or “creeping.”

2858 The serpent so called.

2859 Antonius Castor, probably. See end of B. xx.

2860 See c. 16 of this Book.

2861 A chronic cancer.

2862 “Ulula.”

2863 In B. xxviii. c. 77.

2864 “Fieri.”

2865 See B. xviii. c. 17.

2866 See B. xii. c. 51.

2867 See B. xxi. cc. 19, 83.

2868 Varro calls them “albulæ,” and says that they were found at Reate.

2869 Of course she will be liable to do so, from fright.

2870 The whole of this account appears to be in a very confused state, and is probably corrupt. Sillig’s punctuation has not been adopted.

2871 Ajasson has wasted ten lines of indignation upon the question where such a staff is to be found!

2872 See c. 16 of this Book.

2873 See B. xxxvi. c. 39.

2874 An impossibility. See B. x. c. 15, for the stories about the raven on which this notion was based.

2875 See B. x. cc. 29, 50.

2876 See B. xxxiv. cc. 22, 23.

2877 See B. xxviii. c. 77.

2878 “Scabiem vulvarum.”

2879 Ajasson queries whether “denigrare” may not mean here “to render pale.”

2880 “Sorex.”

2881 Supposed to be an inflammation of the membranes of the brain.

2882 See c. 8 of this Book.

2883 A remedy still used, Ajasson says, in the French provinces.

2884 See B. viii. c. 14, and B. xxix. c. 38.

2885 “Inter se conligatæ in coitu.”

2886 See B. xxviii. c. 80.

2887 See end of B. xxix.

2888 He has hardly immortalized his name by it.

2889 Possibly a kind of crane.

2890 See B. viii. c. 75, and B. xxviii. c. 42.

2891 It has not been identified.

2892 Hardouin thinks that the worm called ἴξ by the Greeks is meant. Ovid speaks in his Fasti, B. i. 11. 354-360, of the goat, as being very fond of gnawing the vine.

2893 See B. xi. c. 19.

2894 See B. x. c. 20.

2895 See B. viii. c. 72.

2896 Some authorities say the ass, and others the Onager, or wild ass.

2897 This story is generally regarded as an absurdity, and is rejected by Arrian and Plutarch.

2898 See end of B. ii.

2899 See end of B. vi.

2900 See end of B. vii.

2901 See end of B. xii.

2902 See end of B. xix.

2903 See end of B. ii.

2904 See end of B. ii.

2905 An eminent philosopher, a native of Smyrna, and disciple of Callimachus. He flourished about the middle of the third century B.C., and left numerous works, the principal of which was a Biography of the Philosophers, Poets, and Historians, which seems to have been highly esteemed. It is thought, too, that he wrote a work on Magic and Astrology; but there are some doubts about the writer’s identity.

2906 A native of Oasis in Egypt, who taught rhetoric at Rome in the reigns of Tiberius and Claudius. Some curious particulars are given respecting him in c. 6 of the present Book. His ostentation, vanity, and insolent pretensions fully merited the title “Cymbalum mundi,” which Tiberius bestowed on him. He was a man, however, of considerable learning and great eloquence, and was distinguished for his hatred to the Jews. Of his numerous works only some fragments remain.

2907 See end of B. xx.

2908 See end of B. ii.

2909 See end of B. xxi.

2910 See end of B. xiii.

2911 See end of B. xxix.

2912 See end of B. xi.

2913 See end of B. xix.

2914 See end of B. xii.

2915 See end of B. xxix.

2916 See end of B. xx.

2917 See end of B. xxix.

2918 See end of B. xx.

2919 See end of B. viii.

2920 See end of B. xxix.

2921 See B. ii. c. 43. Ajasson remarks, that the electric fluid, forming lightning, escapes from the clouds through causes totally independent of water. Still, Pliny would appear to be right in one sense; for if there were no water, there would be no clouds; and without clouds the electric fluid would probably take some other form than that of lightning.

2922 He alludes to the mineral waters of Acqs or Dax on the Adour, in the French department of the Ariège. They are still highly esteemed.

2923 The principal of which are those of Aigues-Chaudes, Aigues-Bonnes, Bagnères-Adores, Cambo, Bagnères, Barèges, Saint-Sauveur, and Cauteret.

2924 Ajasson remarks that animals in all cases refuse to drink mineral waters.

2925 He alludes to Neptune, Amphitrite, the Oceanides, Nereides, Tritons, Crenides, Limnades, Potamides, and numerous other minor divinities.

2926 See B, iii. c. 9.

2927 See B. iii. c. 7.

2928 See B. iii. c. 5.

2929 The mineral waters of Baiæ are still held in high esteem.

2930 As to the identity of the “nitrum” of Pliny, see c. 46 of this Book.

2931 Posides, a eunuch who belonged to the Emperor Claudius, according to Suetonius, c. 28.

2932 There are still submarine volcanoes in the vicinity of Sicily, but the spot here referred to is now unknown.

2933 The Eaux Bonnes in the Basses Pyrénées are good for wounds. After the battle of Pavia they received from the soldiers of Jean d’Albret, king of Navarre, the name of Eaux d’arquebusade.

2934 Only, Ajasson remarks, where the ophthalmia is caused by inflammation of the conjunctive.

2935 He also called it his Puteolan villa.

2936 The “Quæstiones Academicæ.”

2937 “Monumenta.” Ajasson queries what monuments they were, thus raised by the “parvenu of Arpinum.” He suggests that the erection may have been a chapel, temple-library, or possibly funeral monument.

2938 C. Antistius Vetus probably, a supporter of Julius Cæsar, Consul Suffectus, B.C. 30.

2939 “In parte primâ.”

2940 There are three Epigrams probably by this author in the Greek Anthology.

2941 We are sensible that, in thus shortening the penultimate, we shall incur the censure of solecizing, which Hardouin has cast upon the poet Claudian for doing the same.

2942 At the Torre de’ Bagni, Hardouin says, near the church of Santa Maria a Caudara.

2943 Saline and gaseous waters are good for this purpose. See B. iii. c. 12.

2944 It has still the same reputation, Hardouin says, and is situate near the castle of Francolici.

2945 See B. iii. c. 9.

2946 Or “half-strength” waters, apparently. See B. iii. c. 9.

2947 See B. iii. c. 9.

2948 See B. ii. cc. 62, 106, and B. iii. c. 17.

2949 Alluded to, probably, by Ovid, Met. xv. 319, et seq.

2950 The present Bagni di Tivoli. They have other sanitary properties as well, a fact known to Strabo. Martial and Vitruvius also mention them.

2951 See B. iii. c. 17. Called Cotiscoliæ by Strabo. They were of a salt and aluminous nature.

2952 See B. iv. c. 2.

2953 Pausanias calls it the “Elaphus.”

2954 Isidorus, in his “Origines,” calls it the “Lechnus.”