Avimlture in the Days oj Ayicicnf Rome. 
329 
colonnades, the net reaching- from tlie wall at the ))ack to the 
ground in front of the stone columns. The birds were fed 
through the net, and we are told a tiny stream flowed through 
the aviaries to water the birds. This completed the arrange- 
ments of the main aviaries on either side of the walk. 
But 'this by no means exhausts the number of aviaries, 
for at the far end of the walk were steps leading into ,a 
circular " tholus " beyond. Just before the steps were reached 
were two oblong ponds marked D in the plan and there con- 
nected by underground pipes with the Duck pond inside the 
circular part of the building or tholus to be presently de- 
scribed. This tholus was indeed a complicated device and 
consisted of a circular aviary proper on the extreme outside, 
and 5 feet wide; next came a kind bf circular raised dais also 
5 feet wide and finally a circular piece of ornamental water 
with Ducks, Duck-houses, Goldfish, and so forth. Finally, in 
the extreme centre was an island. As regards the aviary: 
this wa^ formed by a series of stone columns on the exterior 
and columns of fir on the inside. A net of gut was thrown 
over the outer or stone columns, but an ordinary fowling net 
over the inner or wooden columns. Outside the aviary was 
a plantation of trees and outside this again a high wall. 
Within the aviary were tiers of seats and shelves attached to 
the columns for the birds to perch and roost in. The space 
adjoining the inner limits of the aviary was meant for the 
guests of Varro and consisted of various ingenious devices 
to sit and wajtch the birds in the aviary and at the same 
time they themselves could partake of some sort of meal l>y 
means of a kind of turn table, the pivot of which was 
exactly in the centre of the Island A {see diagram). Finally 
within and below the level of the platform on which the 
guests reclined was a small circular pond about 10 feet in 
diameter, with an island in the centi-e. This pond was fed 
by a small stream and communicates with the two rectangular 
ponds already mentioned in the rectangular aviaries. Mention 
must be made of the Duck-houses, which were recesses cut 
out underneath the guests' platform.. Altogether aviaries in 
circa B.C. 50 must have been pretty elaborate and some- 
what costly to construct. Varro does not mention what kind 
of birds were kept in this wonderful aviary lieyond saying 
