BOOK IX. I. 7-II. I 



season of winter but also when those which were with 

 young have brought them forth, so that they may 

 rear them better. And so the park-keeper will have 

 frequently to be on the watch and see if they have 

 borne their young, in order that their strength may 

 be sustained by cereals given them by hand. But 

 neither the antelope nor the wild boar nor any other 

 wild creature should be allowed to live to a greater 

 age than four years. For up to that time they 

 advance in growth, after it they grow old and lean ; 

 and so they should be turned into cash while a 

 vigorous time of life preserves their bodily comeli- 

 ness. The deer, however, may be kept for many 8 

 years, for it long remains young in your possession, 

 because it has been allotted a life of longer duration. 

 But as regards animals of lesser growth, such as the 

 hare, our advice is that, in those parks surrounded by a 

 wall, the seeds of mixed cereals and of the pot-herbs, 

 wild endive and lettuce, should be thrown upon small 

 beds of earth made at different intervals apart. Also 

 the Carthaginian and our own native chick-pea, and 

 barley too and chickling should be produced out of 

 store and put before them after having been soaked 

 in rain-water ; for dry food is not much sought after 

 by hares. Moreover, it is easily understood even 9 

 without my mentioning it, concerning these animals 

 and others like them, how inexpedient it is to intro- 

 duce them into a park which is surrounded by railings, 

 since owing to the small size of their bodies they can 

 easily creep under the bars and, having obtained free 

 exit, manage to escape. 



II. I come now to the management of bee-hives. Bees. 

 about which no instructions can be given with 

 greater care than in the words of Hyginus,'' more 



427 



