332 plint's natural history. [Book VIII. 



the ram to reject the young and prefer the old ones, and he him- 

 self is more serviceable when old,^ and when deprived of his 

 horns. ^ He is also rendered less violent by having one horn 

 pierced towards the ear. If the right testicle is tied up, the 

 ram will generate females, and if the left, males. ^° The noise of 

 thunder produces abortion in sheep, if they are left alone ; to 

 prevent such accidents, they are brought together into flocks, 

 that they may be rendered less timid by being in company. 

 "When the north-east wind blows, males are said to be conceived ; 

 and when the south wind, females. In this kind of animal, 

 the mouth of the ram is especially looked to, for whatever may 

 be the colour of the veins under the tongue, the wool of the 

 young one will be of a similar colour.^^ If these veins are 

 many in number, it will be mottled. Any change, too, in their 

 w^ater or drink, will render them mottled. ^^ 



There are two principal kinds of sheep, the covered'^ and 

 the colonic,^* or common sheep ; the former is the more tender 

 animal, but the latter is more nice about its pastures, for the 



8 The expression "senecta melior," here employed, is limited by Colu- 

 mella, ubi supra, to tlie third year. — B. 



^ Columella, B. vii. c. 8, remarks, " When deprived of his horns he 

 knows himself to be disarmed, as it were, and is not so ready to quarrel 

 and is less vehement in his passion." 



10 Columella, B. vii. c. 23, refers to this practice ; he informs us, B. vi, 

 c. 28, that it is practised with respect to the horse. It is also referred tc 

 by Aristotle, Be Gen. Anim. B. iv. c. 1. — B. 



11 For tliis we have the authority of Aristotle, ubi supra, and of Colu- 

 mella, ubi supra, who quotes from Virgil in support of it, Geor. B. iii. 1. 

 387, etseq. — B. "Although tlie'ram be white himself, if there is a black 

 tongue beneath the palate, reject him, that he may not tinge the fleece of 

 the young with black spots." 



12 Varro, B. ii. c. 2, remarks, " While the coupling is taking place, you 

 must use the same water ; for if it is changed, it will render the wool 

 spotted, and injure the Avomb." 



13 '* Tectae." The context shows that this means covered with skins or 

 a woollen girth, probably on account of their delicate nature, Avhile the 

 common sheep of husbandry, or the " colonic" sheep, were able to endure 

 the rigour of the weather without any such protection. 



1* The words are tectum and colonicum; Columella, B. vii. c. 4, uses the 

 terms molle and hirsutum, and Varro, B. ii. c. 2, pellitum and hirtum. The 

 first obtained its name from its being covered with skins, to protect its 

 delicate fleece. The colonic is so called, from " colonus," a " husband- 

 man," this kind being so common as to be found in any village; whereas 

 the tectae were rare. 



1.^ 



