476 PLINY'S NATUKAL HISTOBY. [Book IX, 



for, as the eye-brows of the former are very heavy, they some- 

 times fail over its eyes, and quite close them by their ponder- 

 ousness, upon which the musculus swims before, and points out 

 the shallow places which are likely to prove inconvenient to 

 its vast bulk, 56 thus serving it in the stead of eyes. We 

 shall now have to speak of the nature of the birds. 



SUMMARY. Kemarkable facts, narratives, and observations, 

 650. 



ROMAN AUTHORS QUOTED. Turranius Gracilis, 57 Trogus, 58 

 Maecenas, 59 Alnus Elavus, 60 Cornelius Nepos, 61 Laberius the 

 Mimographer, 62 Eabianus, 63 Fenestella, 64 Mucianus, 65 ^Elius 



the largest of animals ; from which Cuvier concludes it to have heen a 

 species of whale, probably the "rorqual" of the Mediterranean. In con- 

 firmation of this, he thinks that the word " antecedit," in B. xi. c. 62, 

 has not the meaning of u goes before," but "exceeds in size;" though 

 here it is spoken of as leading the whale ; and Oppian, JElian, Plutarch, 

 Claudian, speak of the conductor of the whale as a little fish. He is 

 of opinion, in fine, that either Pliny or some of the authors from 

 which he has borrowed, have made a mistake in the name, and pro- 

 bably given that of " musculus," which was really a large fish, to a small 

 one, which was commonly supposed to attend on the movements of the 

 whale. 



56 It is evident from this passage, that Pliny is speaking of a little fish 

 here, and not one to which he would assign such bulk as is ascribed to the 

 musculus in B. xxxii. c. 53. 



57 See end of B. iii. 58 See end of B. vii. 



59 Caius Cilnius Mecsenas, or rather Maecenas, a descendant of the kings 

 of Etruria, and of equestrian rank. He was the favourite minister of 

 Augustus, and the friend and patron of Horace, Virgil, and most of the 

 more deserving among the learned of his day. He is supposed to 

 have written two tragedies, the Prometheus and Octavia ; an epic poem, 

 and a work on Natural History, to which Pliny frequently alludes, and 

 which seems to have related, principally, to fishes and gems. He is also 

 thought to have written some memoirs of the life of Augustus. 



60 A rhetorician, who flourished in the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius. 

 His school was attended by the elder Seneca, who had then recently re- 

 moved to Rome from Corduba. He was regarded at Rome as a prodigy of 

 learning, and gave lectures before he had assumed the toga virilis. He is 

 supposed to have written poetry, and a history of the Carthaginian wars. 



61 See end of B. ii. 



62 Or u writer of Mimes." Laberius Decimus was of equestrian rank, 

 born about B.C. 107, and died B.C. 43. Half compelled, and half induced 

 by the oifer of a reward by Caesar, he appeared on the stage, in his old age, 

 as an actor of mimes. A few verses, and a prologue still in existence, are 

 attributed to him. 6a Eabianus Papirius. See end of B. ii. 



64 See end of B. viii. 65 See end of B. ii. 



