Chap. 79.] ARTIFICIAL OYSTER-BEDS. 467 



have a womb ; and those which by the Greeks are called 

 trochi, 14 it is said, impregnate themselves. The young of all 

 aquatic animals are without sight at their birth. 15 



CHAP. 78. (53.) THE LONGEST LIVES KNOWN AMONGST FISHES. 



We have lately heard of a remarkable instance of length of 

 life in fish. Pausilypum 16 is the name of a villa in Campania, 

 not far from ISTeapolis ; here, as we learn from the works of 

 M. Annaeus Seneca, a fish is known to have died sixty years 

 after it had been placed in the preserves of Csesar 17 by Vedius 

 Pollio ; while others of the same kind, and its equals in age, 

 were living at the time that he wrote. This mention of fish- 

 preserves reminds me that I ought to mention a few more par- 

 ticulars connected with this subject, before we leave the aquatic 

 animals. 



CHAP. 79. (54.) THE FIRST PERSON THAT FORMED ARTIFICIAL 



OYSTER-BEDS. 



The first person who formed artificial oyster-beds was Ser- - 



upon as females : and, in fact, he says, Cavolini discovered eggs and a milt 

 in every one that he examined ; so that they appear to have all the appli- 

 ances of self-fecundation. 



14 Or wheel-fish : from the Greek rpo^dc, " a wheel." It is not clearly 

 known what animal he alludes to under this name. Snails, Cuvier says, are 

 hermaphrodites, and so is the helix, but still they require sexual connection 

 for the purposes of reproduction. The greater part of the marine uni- 

 valves, on the other hand, are of separate sexes ; hut the organ of the male 

 being proportionally of great length, and coiled in part beneath its mantle, 

 this fact may very possibly have given rise to the notion here mentioned 

 by our author, that the animal impregnates itself. 



15 This can only be understood, Cuvier says, as applying to those animals 

 the young of which are still enveloped in the membranes of the egg : for 

 in general, the young of fish, from the moment of their birth, have eyes 

 of great beauty, and are remarkable for the quickness of their sight. 



J 6 From the Greek 7ravffi\v7rov, " grief-assuaging.'* This was the 

 name of a splendid villa belonging to Veclius Pollio, and which he be- 

 queathed to Augustus. It was famous for its fish preserves ; and it was 

 here probably that Pollio kept his murenae, previously mentioned by Pliny 

 as being fed on human flesh. The vicinity is still called Monte Posilipo. 



17 "Caesaris piscinis." This may either mean, preserves which had 

 their name from Ceesar, or preserves which afterwards belonged to Ca3sar. 

 The work of Seneca, in which this circumstance was mentioned, is no 

 longer in existence. 



H II 2 



