144 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book VII. 



CHAP. 8. (10.) WHO WERE CALLED VOPISCI. 



A child used to be called Vopiscus, 60 who, when twins had 

 been conceived, had been retained in the womb and born alive, 

 the other having perished by abortion. There are, too, some 

 very remarkable instances of this kind, although they are sin- 

 gularly rare and uncommon. 



CHAP. 9. (11.) THE CONCEPTION AND GENERATION OF MAN. 



Few animals, except the female of the human species, re- 

 ceive the male when pregnant. In only one or two species, and 

 no more, does superfoetation ever take place. 51 Cases are to 

 be found stated in the journals of physicians, and of others who 

 have paid particular attention to the subject, in which twelve 

 embryos 52 have been removed at a single abortion. When, 

 however, but a very short time has intervened between two 

 conceptions, the embryos both of them proceed to maturity ; 

 as was seen to be the case with Hercules and his brother 

 Iphicles. 53 This was the case also with the woman who brought 

 forth two children at a birth, one of whom bore a resemblance 

 to her husband, and the other to her paramour. So too, with 

 a female slave in Proconnesus, 54 who was delivered of two 

 children at one birth, one of whom bore a strong resemblance 

 to her master, and the other to her master's steward, with 

 both of whom she had had connection on the same day ; with 

 another woman who was delivered of two children at a birth, 

 the one after the usual period of gestation, the other an em- 



" And let the angel whom thou still hast serv'd, 

 Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother's womb 

 Untimely ripp'd." 



50 The commentators are not agreed respecting the origin of this name ; 

 Dalechamps suggests, that it was originally Opiscus, from oTriaQiov, " be- 

 cause one follows close upon another." B. 



5 * Hardouin says, that this is the case with the hare and the dasypus, 

 which is a species of hare ; hut there is probably no foundation for the 

 statement. Pliny repeats it in a subsequent passage, B. viii. c. 81. B. 



^ Pliny evidently considers this a case of superfcetation, and looks upon 

 it as not uncommon in the human species : whereas it is now considered 

 impossible. 



53 This refers to the mythological tale of Jupiter and Amphitryon. B. 

 84 See B. v. c. 44. 



