RISE AND FROGRESS OF ZOOLOGY. x) 



weakness of mind inseparable from credulity, or that 

 disinclination to investigate truth, which is the sure 

 mark of a secondary order of intellect. It is difficult 

 to account for this paucity of original information 

 and abundance of fable in the writings of Pliny, 

 seeing that he lived in an age when Rome might be 

 said to have possessed the most magnificent mena- 

 gerie the world ever witnessed. Her barbarous ex- 

 hibitions of animal combats, — conducted on a scale 

 of savage splendour, which almost shakes our credu- 

 lity, — 'assembled within her walls fresh supplies of 

 hundreds of living animals, collected from all the 

 regions over which her empire extended, and aug- 

 mented by the forced or voluntary contributions of 

 those allies who sought the protection or friendship of 

 the mistress of the world. These menageries were 

 not only filled with lions and other ferocious animals, 

 destined for the circus, but contained, in all proba- 

 bility, whatsoever was rare or curious among the 

 more peaceable tribes ; since these creatures fre- 

 quently formed a conspicuous feature in triumphal 

 processions, and were no doubt taken care of after- 

 wards. * The Camelopardalis of northern Africa 

 (C. antiquorum, Sw.) was well known to the 

 Romans ; but that of the southern regions, we may 

 Dresume, was too far removed from their empire. 

 Certain it is, however, that of all these advantages 



* Pliny himself is the authority for these facts. He informs 

 us that Quintus Curtius first began the custom. Scylla ex- 

 hibited the terrific spectacle of a combat of 100 male lions; 

 but this savage amusement was far outdone by Pompey, who 

 assembled at one time no less than 600 of these beasts. Caesar, 

 also, had one of 400. 



