232 PLINY' 8 NATURAL HISTOET. [Book XIV. 



and it produces but a poor wine. It has, however, the thin- 

 nest skin of all the grapes, and a single stone, 5 of very dimi- 

 nutive size, which is known as the " Chian ;" 6 one or two of 

 the grapes on the cluster are remarkably large. There is also 

 the black Aminean, to which the name of Syriaca is given : 

 the Spanish vine, too, the very best of all those of inferior 

 quality. 



The grapes that are known as escariae, 7 are grown on trel- 

 lises. Of the duracinus 8 kind, there are those known as the 

 white and the black varieties ; the bumastus, too, is similarly 

 distinguished in colour. Among the vines too, that have 

 not as yet been mentioned, there are the ^Egian and the 

 Ehodian 9 kinds, as also the uncialis, so called, it would seem, 

 from its grape being an ounce in weight. There is the picina 10 

 too, the blackest 11 grape known, and the stephanitis, 12 the 

 clusters of which Nature, in a sportive mood, has arranged in 

 the form of a garland, the leaves being interspersed 13 among 

 the grapes; there are the grapes, too, known as the "forenses," 14 

 and which quickly come to maturity, recommend themselves 

 to the buyer by their good looks, and are easily carried from 

 place to place. 



On the other hand, those known as the "cinerea" 15 are 

 condemned by their very looks, and so are the rabuscula 16 and 

 the asinusca ; n the produce of the alopecis, 18 which resembles 

 in colour a fox's tail, is held in less disesteem. The Alexan- 

 dria 19 is the name of a vine that grows in the vicinity of Pha- 



5 The ordinary number of pips or stones is five. It is seldom that we 

 find but one. Virgil mentions this grape, Georg. ii. 95. 



6 " Chium." This reading is doubtful. Fee says that between ISTarni 

 and Terni, eight leagues from Spoleto, a small grape is found, without 

 stones. It is called "uva passa," or "passerina." So, too, the Sultana 

 raisin of commerce. 



7 " Grown for the table." 8 Or "hard-berry." 



9 Mentioned by Virgil, Georg. ii. 101. 10 Or pitch-grape. 



11 Perhaps the "noirant," or "teinturier" of the French. 



12 Or "garland-clustered" vine. 



13 Fee says that this is sometimes accidentally the case, but is not the 

 characteristic of any variety now known. 



14 Or "market-grapes." 



15 The "ash-coloured." ™ The "russet-coloured." 

 17 Probably so called from its grey colour, like that of the ass. 



is Or "fox" vine. This variety is unknown. 



13 So called from Alexandria, in Troas, not in Egypt. Phalacra was 

 iu the vicinity of Mount Ida. 



