BY WHICH THE VINE IS INFESTED. 187 



discus, speaking to liis mistress of anotlier slave, says that she imitates 

 a dangerous beast : 



" Imitahir nequam bestiam, et damnificam." 

 " What is it, I pray ? " says his mistress : 

 " Quamnam, amabo?" 



The slave replies : " The Involvolus, which rolls and envelops itself 



in the leaf of the vine. In the same manner does she purposely involve 



the meaning of her speech*." 



" Involvolorum, quae in pampini folio intorta implicat sc, 

 Itidem hac exorditur sibi intortam orationem." 



In the Dictionary of Pomponius Festusf we find this definition of the 

 word Tnvolvus : " Vermiculi ge7ius qui iyivolvit pampino." 



No one can hesitate to recognise the Involvolus of Plautus in the 

 Involvtis of Festus. The word is the same with a very slight alteration. 

 The curious industry of this insect is confirmed by the testimony of two 

 authors ; and we learn from Festus that the bestiola of Plautus was not 

 a perfect insect, but the larva of an insect. 



XV. Convolvulus. — Marcus Porcius Cato, in his treatise De Re 

 Rustica, gives a recipe to guard the vine from the attacks of the insect 

 named Convolvulus, which is there engendered. The directions are, to 

 boil the residuum of oil until it acquires the consistency of honey, and then 

 to anoint the top and the axillae of each plant with the preparation^. 



" Convolvulus in vinea ne siet, amurcam condito," &'C. And at the end, 

 " Hoc vitem circum caput, et sub brachia unguito, Convolvulus non nas- 

 citur." 



Pliny thus quotes this recipe § : 



" Ne Convolvulus^«< in vinea, amurcce congios duos decoqiii in cras- 

 situdinem 9uellis," &c., &c. And in the conclusion, " Hoc vites circa capita 

 ac sub brachiis ungi ; ita non fore Convolvulum." 



Tliese passages, which are the only ones in which the name Convol- 

 vulus occurs, contain no information respecting the insect intended by 

 it, excepting, indeed, that it greatly injures the vine. We shall have to 

 examine whether it be tiie same insect as the Involvulus of Plautus, or 

 whether the two words are applied to two different insects. 



XVI. Volvox It will not be necessary to inquire whether the insect 



• It was necessary for my purpose to translate this passage literally ; Limiers, 

 CEiivrc')! lie Plaule, 1 2nio, vol. iii. p. 29.'! ; Levee, Thidtre des Latins, 8 vo, vol. iii. 

 p. 416; Naudet, llivutn- da Plaule, Svo, vol. iii. p. 1S7, may be consulted as 

 to the manner in which it has been rendered by various translators. 



t Pomp. Festus, book i.\. p. 103. edit, of Dair. 



X M. P. Cato, l)e Re Rustica, chap. 95. vol. i. p. 52, Bipontiiie edition ; vol. i. 

 'p. 84. of tlie Sciiplores Rei Ayraricc, '2m\ edit, of Gesner. 



§ Pliny, book xvii. cliap. 2S, 17. v(j1. ii. p. 91 of the edit, of Hardoiiin, folio ; 

 vol. V. p. 741. of the edit, of lianzius. 



