Of I Ancient Monuments. 173 



availing ourselves of tlieir labours, we have very much extended 

 the list of figured animals which they have given us. These 

 animals belong principally to the terrestrial mammifera?, which 

 by their size and importance have been more frequently repre- 

 sented than those of other families. Therefore, on the monu- 

 ments of antiquity also, these terrestrial mammiferae are in much 

 greater number, than animals of the other classes ; and it is easy 

 to apprehend the reason of it. 



But we find a great number of living species both of animals 

 and vegetables, so exactly represented on the monuments of the 

 ancients, that it is difficult not to admit that they have been de- 

 signed from nature, and from the living specimens ; for the 

 greater number of them present not only their distinctive cha- 

 racters, but also the gait and the carriage which suit them. 

 This accuracy is so great, that, after the example of many na- 

 turalists and antiquarians, we have not been able to prevent 

 ourselves from reposing confidence in it. If we repose this con- 

 fidence on the figures depicted by able artists in modern times, 

 how can we refuse it to those which have been traced by men 

 of approved abilities, who were less influenced by preconceived 

 ideas ? This confidence which we have in the artists of anti- 

 quity, has prompted us to furnish in this place a catalogue of 

 the various species they have depicted ; and as antiquarians 

 cannot fail to partake of the interest of the inquiry, they will 

 assuredly extend the list farther than our position has enabled 

 us to do. 



The ancients have not limited themselves to the representa- 

 tion of the different species merely which they wished to de- 

 pict ; they have given no less attention to those lesser varieties 

 which we have denominated races. We have only to cast our 

 eyes upon their monuments to perceive, that they have accu- 

 rately distinguished the various races of the domestic animals, 

 particularly those that are observed amongst cattle, sheep, dogs 

 and horses. As to these last, they have marked the differences 

 which exist between the draught and the saddle horse, and they 



Florence 1760. 1 vol. 4to. Dissertation sur quelques m^dailles des villes 

 grecques, qui offrent la representation de I'objets d'histoire naturelle ; par 

 Millin. Magasin EncyclopWique, t. v. 



