30 Natural Hijiory of the Ancients. 



puppies as an edible in old days. Hence whelps 

 were facrificed as an expiatory offering to the gods, 

 following out the philofophy of facrifice that men 

 fhould offer to the gods whatever they moft 

 valued. "And verily at this day," fays Pliny, 

 " they make no fcruple to facrifice a yong whelpe 

 before it be full a day old ; yea, and at the folemn 

 feftivall fuppers ordained for the honour of the 

 gods, they forget not this day to ferve up at the 

 table certain dimes of yong whelp's flem that 

 fucke their dams." At the aditiales, the inau- 

 gural feafts of the magiilrates, the flem of puppies 

 was ordinarily ferved. Perhaps the curious in 

 fuch viands in the Weftern world might even now 

 have no difficulty in procuring puppies, ready 

 dreffed for cooking, in the markets of Naples. 1 



1 Pliny, "Nat. Hift.," xxix. 4 (Holland). 



