On Animals ihpkted on Antique Monuinents. 269 



nearly so frequently as the other classes. They are seen chiefly 

 upon the monuments of Pompeii and Herculaneum ; and they 

 might be reconciled with the living varieties, if it were quite cer- 

 tain that they had been represented with the whole of their cha- 

 racters, especially with all their lins, and these in their real po- 

 sitions. 



An important branch of this subject consists in the determi- 

 nation of the various kinds of vegetables that are represented on 

 antiques ; and these are much more numerous than we had at 

 first imagined. These plants are generally figured with a de- 

 gree of accuracy quite sufficient for their classification, though 

 it often requires a somewhat minute examination. In truth, the 

 same kind of uncertainty which prevails whilst determining fos- 

 sil plants, exists here in a still greater degree ; the mutual bear- 

 ings of forms having neither the same importance, nor being 

 equally necessary to vegetables as to animals. But, in spite of 

 this difficulty, which is inherent in the subject, we believe we 

 can demonstrate that the plants so depicted are much more nu- 

 merous, not only as it regards individuals, but even species, 

 than has been hitherto supposed. This is a point to which, at 

 another time, we shall direct the attention of the geologist and 

 the antiquarian. 



Respecting the animals above alluded to, they may be found 

 engraved in a great number of works upon antiquities, both 

 Greek and Roman. Of these we name the following, because 

 they contain the greatest number. First, Antonii Augustini 

 Antiquitatum Romanoruvi Hupanarumque, §*c. AntverpicB, 

 1617. Some very rare animals are here represented with great 

 accuracy, such as the antelope, oryx, and bubalis (the Barbary 

 cow, tab. 58 and 60), and also the hippopotamus. There is an- 

 other work of the same author, entitled Regum et Imperatorum 

 Romanorum Numismata, in which there is also a great number 

 both of wild and domestic species, equally well engraved. The 

 antique medals copied in this work demonstrate that the an- 

 cients had minutely distinguished the different races of the 

 horse, and the crosses betwixt the jack-ass and mare, and the 

 horse and ass. The mules represented in plates 26 and 32 are 



VOL. XVII. NO. XXXIV.— OCTOBER 1834. T 



