136 



ARRIAN 



Chap. XXVI. selves too are so utterly ruined by it that you can never after- 

 wards, do what you will, remedy the error. The proper and 

 seasonable time for sexual intercourse is from the completion 

 of the third year. ^ 



Pollux. 

 L. V. c. VII. 



Columella 

 De Re Rust. 

 L. VII. c. XII. 



Plin. Hist. Nat. 

 L. VIII. c. 40. 



Hist. Quadrup. 

 L, I. De Cane. 



advanced in years, there is some difference of opinion. According to Pollux, &pa 

 apiffrrj kvvwv irphs ■nKjjpuxriv re Kol yeveaiv, T(p fiev &^^evi rerdpTov erovs ap^afiivov, 

 TiKevTcuov rh oySoov i) Se G^Aeia Tpiirls, fiexpi e^aeriSos (TvvSva^eaBu. 



" Mares juveniliter usque in annos decern progenerant : post id tempus ineundis 

 foeniinis non videntur habiles, quoniam seniorura pigra soboles existit. Foerainae con- 

 cipiunt usque in annos novem, nee sunt utiles post decimum," according to Colu- 

 mella : while Pliny admits both dog and bitch at a year old — " canum generibus 

 annul partus, justa ad pariendum annua ietas." 



Conrad Gesner cites an ancient, nameless authority, to the following effect : 

 " Mares quarto anno gignere incipiant, (opera scilicet hominura admittentium tunc 

 primuiD robustioris generandae sobolis gratia,) foeminje tertio usque in nonum." 



If a courser follow Virgil's rule as to milch kine, in limiting the age of his brood 

 bitcU for the purposes alluded to, he will find it perfectly applicable': 



Georg. III. 

 60. 



^tas Lucinam justosque pati hymenjeos 

 Desinit ante decern, post quatuor incipit annos. 



After the fourth year, no greyhound can be depended on for fair running, and there- 

 fore may be well spared, to keep up the kennel stock, when no longer useful in the 

 field: 



Fracastorii 

 Alcon. 



ut generosa canum tibi copia nunquam 



Desit. 



Countrey Con- 

 tentments. B. I. 

 p. 47. 



Virg. Georg. 

 III. 96. 



Nemesian. 

 Cyneg. vs. 114. 



3. 'AttJ) rpirov juef fTovs itpUaOai — " You shall obseiTe," says Markham, " to have 

 your dogges and bitches of equal and indifferent ages, as about three or foure years old 

 at the most. But in case of need, your bitch will endure a great deale longer than 

 your dogge, and to breed with a young dogge on an old bitch, may bring forth an 

 excellent whelpe." " Frigidus in Venerem senior — ." 



After describing a good-sbaped bitch, Nemesian adds : 



Huic parilem submitte mareni, sic omnia magnum, 

 Dum superant vires, dum Izeto flore juventus. 

 Corporis et venis primaevi sanguis abundat. 

 Namque graves morbi subeunt, segnisque senectiis : 

 Invalidamque dabunt non firmo robore prolem. 

 Sed diversa raagis foetura: convenil aetas. 



