Ill] OF FIELDFARES 269 



bouring islands of Pontiae,' Palmaria, and Panda- 

 teria, for there on their first flight — when they came 

 that is — they stay a few days to rest, and also on 

 crossing the sea on their way back from Italy. 

 8 Said Appius to Axius, You have only to put here 

 five thousand ^ birds, and supposing a public feast or 

 a triumph take place, you have at once the 60,000 

 sesterces ^ (jC^So) you want, and may then lend them 

 out at good interest/ Then turning to me he said, 

 Now tell us, please, about the second kind of aviary, 

 the one which, we are told, you built for your 

 pleasure near Casinum, by it surpassing, men say, 

 not only the original aviary of our friend the in- 

 ventor, M. Laenius Strabo,' who was our host at 



1 Pontiis. Palmaria (Palmarola), Pontia with SInonia 

 (Ponza), and Pandateria (Vandotena), are small islands lying 

 about thirty-five miles off the coasts of Latlum and Campania. 



' Quinque milia, i.e., the quinque milia turdorum mentioned 

 in chap, ii, § 15. 



' Sexaginta milia^ the sum mentioned (iii, 2, 15), which took 

 Axius's breath away. 



* In fenus. Frequent allusion Is made in this book to the 

 cupidity of Axius. When he hears of the profits made out of 

 villatica pasiio, he is on fire to learn the art (2, 19); Merula, 

 about to discuss aviaries, says that he will begin with that 

 which is a source of gain, as he knows Axius will prefer this 

 (5, i); Appius, after having given the natural history of bees, 

 says that he knows Axius must be bored to death, quod de 

 fructu nihil dixi {16, 9). 



The point of these allusions, I take it, lies in the fact that 

 Quintus Axius, a Roman senator, and intimate friend of Cicero 

 (Gellius, vii, 3, 10), was a money-lender (cf. Ad Atticum, i, 12, 

 and X, 11). 



' M. Laeni Strabonis. Ernesti in the Clavis thinks that this 



