THRUSH KIND. 619 



Among the Romans some species of the thrush were deemed 

 exquisite food ; whence Martial : 



" Inter aves turdus, inter quadrupes, gloria prima, lepus;" 



and, to procure a supply of it, no labour or expence was spared 

 by that sensual and luxurious people. They constructed large 

 aviaries, fit for the reception of many thousands of these devoted 

 creatures, along with equal numbers of quails, ortalans, and other 

 birds reckoned delicate eating. Such vast numbers of these avia- 

 ries were erected in the vicinity of Rome, that their dung was 

 employed as a manure for the fields, like that of the dove-houses 

 with us. 



In these aviaries, however, *the Roman birds enjoyed not the 

 same liberty with our dove-house pigeons ; for they were never 

 allowed to escape, and, by consequence, they seldom laid, or 

 produced young. As, however, they were provided with abun- 

 dance of well-chosen food, they readily fattened, to the great 

 profit of the proprietor. Their ordinary price was about two 

 shillings a-piece ; but, about the time of a public triumph, or any 

 grand festival, they far exceeded that sum. These aviaries were 

 large vaulted buildings, supplied with a number of joists, upon 

 which the birds might perch. They were but obscurely lighted, 

 so that the prisoners might never see the fields, the woods, or the 

 wild birds fluttering at their liberty ; images which could not fail 

 to excite a regret for their lost freedom, and to prevent them from 

 fattening. Slaves, says BufFon, should never see too clearly ; and 

 they took care that these should only be able to distinguish the 

 different objects that were' to supply their wants. They were fed 

 with millet, and a sort of paste made up of bruised figs and meal ; 

 to these were added ivy and myrtle berries, and every thing that 

 could give a relish and succulency to their flesh. They got water 

 from a small stream that ran across the aviary. For about twenty 

 days before they were killed for eating, their quantity of food 

 was increased, and care taken that it should be of a more nutritive 

 quality. So far was the attention to this business carried, that 

 the owners made those that were fat, and ready for being taken, 

 pass gently into a small chamber adjoining the aviary, where they 

 cut off all communication between them and those that were left, 

 that the latter might not be disturbed by catching the former. 

 With the latter they tried every method to keep up the illusion of 



