BOOK VIII.] History of Nature. 95 



Censors, prohibiting to serve up at Suppers the Belly and 

 Paps of a Sow; the Glands, Testicles, 1 Womb, and the Fore- 

 part of the Boar's Head : and yet Publius* the comic Poet, 

 after he obtained his Freedom, is remarked to have been 

 never without an Hog's Belly ; who also gave the Name of 

 Sumen to it. The Flesh of wild Hogs also came into great 

 Request; so that Cato the Censor, in his Orations, reproached 

 them for making Brawn. 3 And yet when they made three 

 Portions of the wild Boar, the Loin was served up in the 

 midst, under the Name of Brawn (Aprugnus). The first 

 Roman that brought to the Table, in Feasts, a whole Boar, 

 was P. Servilius Rullus, Father of that Rullus who, when 

 Cicero was Consul, published the Agrarian Law. So little 

 while ago it is since the Beginning of what is now an every- 

 day Occurrence. And the Thing was recorded in the Annals; 

 no doubt, to correct such Customs. In them one Supper 

 had a Mark set on it at the Beginning ; but now, two and 

 three Boars are eaten at one Time. 



CHAPTER LII. 

 Of Parks for Beasts. 



THE first Man of the long Robe that formed Parks for 

 these and other wild Animals was Fulvius Lippinus, who, in 

 the Territory of Tarquiny, set up an establishment to feed wild 

 Beasts. And it was not long before others followed his Steps, 

 as L. Lucullus and Q. Hortensius. Wild Sows bring forth 

 once a Year ; and the Boars in rutting-time are exceeding 

 fierce : then they fight one with another : they harden their 

 Sides by rubbing them against Trees, and coat their Backs 

 with Mud. The Sows at their farrowing are still more fierce, 

 as is the Case with almost every kind of Beast. Wild Boars 

 are not fertile before they are a Year old. The wild Boars of 

 India 4 have two curved Tusks of a Cubit in Length, growing 



1 Lib. xxxvi. 2. ' Lib. xxxv. 17. 3 Lib. xi. 37. 



4 Sus babirussa. Cuv. The Babiroussa. This animal, a species 

 of wild hog, is found in some of the Indian isles. Its long upper tusks, 



