PLINY THE ELDER. 95 



stances of a general nature. He believes that the 

 spinal marrow of a man, as many persons have as- 

 sertedj may turn into a snake ; that salamanders, 

 eels, and oysters, are neither male nor female ; and 

 that young vipers make their way through the sides 

 of their mother. His History of Birds is extremely 

 meagre and incorrect ; but many amusing particulars 

 are related by him, of which we select two examples. 

 In the days of Tiberius Caesar, a young raven 

 that had been hatched in a nest upon the temple of 

 Castor and Pollux took her first flight into a shoe- 

 maker's shop just opposite. The master of the booth 

 was well pleased to receive the guest, especially as it 

 had come from so sacred a place, and took great care 

 of it. In a short time the winged visiter began to 

 speak, and every morning flew to the top of the 

 rostra, where, turning to the open forum, he sa- 

 luted the emperor, and after him Germanicus and 

 Drusus, the young princes, each by his name, and 

 after them the people that passed by. This he con- 

 tinued to do for many years^ till another shoemaker, 

 either envying his neighbour the possession of so 

 rare a prize, or enraged at the bird for muting on 

 his shoes, killed him. At this rash proceeding, the 

 people were so indignant that they drove the unge- 

 nerous mechanic out of the street, and afterwards 

 murdered him. The body of the raven was solemnly 

 interred in a field two miles from the city, to which 

 it was carried by two blacks, with musicians play- 

 ing before, and a great crowd following. In such 

 esteem, says Pliny, did the people of Rome hold 

 this wit and aptness to learn in a bird, that they 

 thought it a sufficient cause for ordering a sump- 

 tuous funeral, and even for putting a man to death. 



