ANTIQUITY OF THE FANCY MOUSE 13 



some eight hundred legends, a number of which were reputed 

 to be the works of Aesop (c. 620-560 b.c). According to 

 Erasmus this brand of murine-generation story was origi- 

 nated by Aesop and copied by Porphyrion (a.d. 233-304), 

 who gives the following account (65) : 



As once when wild and uncivilized men saw the earth to heave up and 

 move in a mountain, they ran together from every direction to such a 

 dreadful sight, expecting that the earth would there give forth some new 

 and great spectacle (the mountain indisputably laboring). Perhaps it 

 should be that the Titans would burst forth again and renew their war with 

 the gods! Then, while all the multitude stood there in suspense with 

 astonished spirits, a mouse broke out of the earth, and a laugh arose from 

 all the people. 



Plutarch (a.d. 46-120) says that mice conceive by licking 

 salt. He copies this from Aristotle, who not only believes in 

 the saline method of engendering but records a ridiculous 

 litter size of one hundred and twenty young produced 

 through this kind of parthenogenesis. This story was brought 

 to Aristotle by a veteran of Alexander's military campaign 

 in India, who apparently wished to impress the old naturalist 

 with the marvels of that far-away land. Thomas of Can- 

 timpre (c. a.d. 1228-1244) avers that the size of mouse livers 

 waxes and wanes with the moon, but in this he repeats Pliny. 



These legends expanded to their greatest proportions dur- 

 ing the Middle Ages when mice along with other base 

 creatures were considered the handiwork of devils. Casper 

 Schott (a.d. 1697) (156) in his interesting Physica Curiosa 

 is bold enough to suggest that diabolical assistance may not 

 be necessary in the creation of lowly animals as commonly 

 believed, because many of the forms are known to be pro- 

 duced by spontaneous generation. He says: 



The first reason for doubting is because many animals arise from putrid 

 material and by other means without the intervention of father and 

 mother. . . . Indeed, agile boring larvae and little worms are given birth 

 in rotting wood; from putrefaction slugs, snails and mice, from ox dung 

 honey bee drones and wasps; from the aerated urine of caterpillars, butter- 

 flies, ants, grasshoppers, cicadas and other similar- forms. 



In this tale he follows Pliny, who in turn copies it from 

 Aristotle. 



