ON COURSING. 



145 



lighten any excess of milk, — and then put them to other Chap. XXX. 

 bitches, selecting such as are well-bred : for the milk of 



in alendo fiunt propter copiani lactis." Fronto also agrees with him, and out of a 

 litter of seven recommends only three or four to be left with the mother ; out of three, 

 only two. 



Many are the diagnostics, recorded ia the ancient Cynegetica, to assist the classic 

 sportsman in selecting the most promising puppies : 



turn deinde nionebo, 

 Ne matrem indocilis natorum turba fatiget, 

 Percensere notis, jamque inde excemere parvos. 

 Signa dabunt ipsae, teneris vix artubus hasret 

 lUe tuos olim non defecturus honores : 

 Jamque ilium impatiens fequae vehementia sortis 

 Extulit, aftectat materna regna sub alvo, 

 Ubera tola tenet, a tergo liber aperto, 

 Dum tepida indulge! terris dementia mundi. 

 Verura ubi Caurino perstrinxit frigore vesper 

 Ira jacet, turb&que potens operitur inerti. 

 Illius e meinibus vires sit cura futuras 

 Perpensare : levis deducet pondere fratres : 

 Nee me pignoribus, nee te mea carraina fallent. 



Nemesian demands our assent to a novel and somewhat cruel mode of ascertaining 

 the best puppies of a numerous litter, and states that it is founded on actual experi- 

 ment : 



quae prodidit usus 

 Percipe, et intrepidus spectatis annue dictis. 

 Pondere nam catuli poteris perpendere vires, 

 Corporibusque leves gravibus preenoscere ciirsus. 

 Qiiin et ilammato ducatur linea longe 

 Circuitu, signetque habilem vapor igneus orbem. 

 Impune in medio possis consistere circo. 

 Hue omnes catuli, hue indiscreta feratur 

 Turba, dabit mater partus examine honestos, 

 Judicio natos servans, trepidoque pertclo. 

 Nam postquam conclusa videt sua germina flammis, 

 Continue saltu transcendens fervida zonae 

 Vincla, rapit rictu primum, portatque cubili ; 

 Mox aliuni, mux deinde aliuni. Sic conscia mater 

 Segregat egregiam sobolem virtutis amore. 

 T 



Gooponic. 

 L. XIX. c. 2. 



GratiiCyneget. 



vs. 287. 



Nemesian. 

 Cyneget. 

 vs. 144. 



