BOOK XI. Lxxv. 194-LXXVI1. 197 



(Animals in the Pontus that eat wormwood are 

 free from bile.) Again the gall-bladder is connected 

 with the kidneys and only on one side with the 

 intestine in ravens, quails and pheasants, and in some 

 only with the intestine, as in pigeons, the hawk, 

 lampreys ; and with a few birds it is in the Hver. 

 With snakes it is proportionally extremely copious, 

 and so with fishes. But with birds it usually fiUs the 

 whole intestine, as with the hawk and kite ; moreover 

 it is also in the Hver, as in the case of all the large 

 marine animals. Indeed in the case of seals it is in 

 high repute for many purposes as well. From bulls' 

 gall a golden colour is extracted. The augurs have 

 consecrated the gall to Neptune and the power of 

 the watery element, and the late lamented Augustus 

 found a double gall-bladder on the day on which he 

 won the battle of Actium." 



LXXVI. It is said that the filaments in the tiny Tfi^ Hver. 

 livers of mice correspond with the number of the 

 days of the moon in the month, and are found to 

 correspond with its degree of Hght ; and also that 

 they grow larger with winter. Rabbits are often 

 found in Southern Spain with a double set of in- 

 ternal organs. One of the two filaments of toads 

 ants do not touch, because of their poison, as is 

 beheved. The Hver is extremely capable of enduring 

 age, and has been proved by instances of sieges * to 

 last a hundred years. 



LXXVII. Snakes and Hzards have long- internal 9'''^ , 



_, . 111 iiiiemal 



organs. 1 here is a record that when a person at orgdm ,• 

 Volterra named Caecina was performing a sacrifice, p^jfylillogy, 

 some snakes darted out from the internal organs of 

 the victim — a joyful portent ; and indeed it would 

 seem nothing incredible to those considering that on 



555 



