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            [Illustration: VIEW OF NAPLES AND MT. VESUVIUS.]




                                  THE
                            BOYS’ AND GIRLS’
                                 PLINY


                BEING PARTS OF PLINY’S “NATURAL HISTORY”

            EDITED FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, WITH AN INTRODUCTION


                                   BY
                          JOHN S. WHITE, LL.D.

                      HEAD-MASTER BERKELEY SCHOOL

  EDITOR OF “THE BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ PLUTARCH” AND “THE BOYS’ AND GIRLS’
                               HERODOTUS”


                      WITH FIFTY-TWO ILLUSTRATIONS

                          NEW YORK AND LONDON
                          G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS
                       _The Knickerbocker Press_

                              COPYRIGHT BY
                          G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS
                                  1885




                               CONTENTS.


                               _BOOK I._
                              DEDICATION.
CHAP.                                                               PAGE
Caius Plinius Secundus to his Friend Titus Vespasian                   1
                                _BOOK II._
                AN ACCOUNT OF THE WORLD AND THE ELEMENTS.
I. The Character and Form of the World                                 9
II. Of God                                                            12
III. The Dimensions of the World                                      15
IV. Of the Stars which appear suddenly, or of Comets                  16
V. The Doctrine of Hipparchus about the Stars                         17
VI. Of the Stars which are Named Castor and Pollux                    18
VII. Of Thunder and Lightning                                         19
VIII. Nature of the Earth                                             20
IX. Italy                                                             25
X. The Hyperboreans                                                   27
XI. Britannia                                                         29
XII. Mount Atlas                                                      30
XIII. The Island of Taprobana                                         31
                               _BOOK III._
                   MAN, HIS BIRTH AND HIS ORGANIZATION.
I. Man                                                                37
II. The Wonderful Forms of Different Nations                          40
III. Instances of Extraordinary Strength                              49
IV. Instances of Remarkable Agility and Acuteness of Sight            50
V. Vigor of Mind, and Courage                                         51
VI. Men of Remarkable Genius and Wisdom                               57
                                _BOOK IV._
                    THE NATURE OF TERRESTRIAL ANIMALS.
I. Elephants; their Capacity                                          60
II. The Combats of Elephants                                          66
III. The Way in which Elephants are Caught                            68
IV. The Age of the Elephant, and Other Particulars                    69
V. The Lion                                                           71
VI. Wonderful Feats Performed by Lions                                74
VII. Panthers and Tigers                                              78
VIII. The Camel                                                       80
IX. The Rhinoceros and the Crocotta                                   82
X. The Animals of Æthiopia; Wild Beasts which Kill with their Eyes    84
XI. Wolves; Serpents                                                  85
XII. The Crocodile and the Hippopotamus                               88
XIII. Prognostics of Danger Derived from Animals                      92
XIV. The Hyæna                                                        93
XV. Deer                                                              94
XVI. The Chameleon                                                    97
XVII. Bears and their Cubs                                            98
XVIII. Hedgehogs                                                     100
XIX. The Wild Boar                                                   101
XX. Apes                                                             102
                                _BOOK V._
                            DOMESTIC ANIMALS.
I. The Dog; Examples of its Attachment to its Master                 104
II. The Horse                                                        107
III. The Ox                                                          112
IV. The Egyptian Apis                                                114
V. Sheep and their Wool                                              115
VI. Different Kinds of Cloths                                        118
VII. Goats                                                           120
                                _BOOK VI._
                      THE NATURAL HISTORY OF FISHES.
I. Why the Largest Animals are Found in the Sea                      121
II. The Forms of the Tritons and Nereids                             124
III. The Balæna and the Orca                                         125
IV. Dolphins                                                         127
V. The Various Kinds of Turtles                                      133
VI. Distribution of Aquatic Animals into Various Species             134
VII. Fishes Valued for the Table                                     139
VIII. Peculiar Fishes                                                142
IX. Bloodless Fishes                                                 144
X. Various Kinds of Shell-Fish                                       151
XI. Pearls                                                           153
XII. The Nature of the Murex and the Purple                          160
XIII. Bodies which have a Third Nature, that of the Animal and Vegetable
          Combined                                                   164
XIV. The Shark                                                       165
XV. Oyster-Beds, and Fish-Preserves                                  167
XVI. Land-Fishes                                                     169
XVII. How the Fish Called the Anthias is Taken                       170
XVIII. The Echeneis and the Torpedo                                  172
XIX. The Instincts and Peculiarities of Fishes                       174
XX. Coral                                                            176
XXI. The Various Kinds of Oysters                                    177
                               _BOOK VII._
                      THE NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS.
I. The Ostrich                                                       180
II. The Phœnix                                                       181
III. The Eagle                                                       182
IV. The Vulture and the Hawk                                         187
V. The Crow, the Raven, and the Owl                                  191
VI. The Woodpecker of Mars                                           193
VII. The Peacock and the Rooster                                     194
VIII. The Goose                                                      197
IX. Cranes                                                           198
X. Storks and Swans                                                  199
XI. Foreign Birds which Visit Us                                     201
XII. Swallows                                                        203
XIII. Birds which take their Departure from Us in Winter             204
XIV. The Nightingale                                                 206
XV. The Halcyons: the Halcyon Days that are Favorable to Navigation  208
XVI. The Instinctive Cleverness Displayed by Birds in the Construction
          of their Nests                                             209
XVII. The Acanthyllis and the Partridge                              210
XVIII. Pigeons                                                       213
XIX. Different Modes of Flight and Progression in Birds              215
XX. Strange and Fabulous Birds                                       216
XXI. The Art of Cramming Poultry.—Aviaries                           224
XXII. Peculiarities of Animals                                       226
                               _BOOK VIII._
                      THE VARIOUS KINDS OF INSECTS.
I. The Extreme Smallness of Insects                                  232
II. Whether Insects Breathe, and Whether they have Blood             234
III. Bees                                                            236
IV. The Mode in which Bees Work                                      238
V. The Mode of Government of the Bees                                242
VI. Wasps and Hornets                                                244
VII. The Silk-Worm                                                   245
VIII. Spiders                                                        246
IX. Locusts                                                          248
X. Ants                                                              250
                                _BOOK IX._
                      THE NATURAL HISTORY OF METALS.
I. Gold                                                              252
II. The Origin of Gold Rings                                         254
III. Coins of Gold                                                   256
IV. Silver                                                           260
V. Mirrors                                                           261
VI. Instances of Immense Wealth                                      263
VII. Instances of Luxury in Silver Plate                             265
VIII. Bronze                                                         268
IX. Statues of Bronze                                                271
X. The most Celebrated Colossal Statues in the City                  277
XI. Of the most Celebrated Works in Bronze, and of the Artists who
          Executed them                                              280
XII. Iron                                                            287
XIII. An Account of Paintings and Colors                             289
XIV. The Earliest Painters                                           292
XV. Artists who Painted with the Pencil                              296
XVI. Various other Kinds of Painting                                 311
XVII. The Inventors of the Art of Modelling                          313
XVIII. Works in Pottery                                              315
XIX. Sculpture                                                       318
XX. Obelisks                                                         323
CONCLUSION.—Italy                                                    326




                         LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.


                                                                    PAGE
View of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius                          _Frontispiece._
The Indian Elephant                                                   43
African Elephant.—_Loxodonta Africana_                                66
Gambian Lion.—_Leo Gambianus_                                         72
Wild Cat.—_Felis Catus_                                               75
Margay.—_Leopardus Tigrinus_                                          77
Jaguar.—_Leopardus Onca_                                              78
Tiger.—_Tigris Regális_                                               79
Camel.—_Camélus Arábicus_                                             80
Giraffe.—_Giraffa Camelopárdalis_                                     81
Indian Rhinoceros.—_Rhinóceros Unicornis_                             82
Keittoa, or Sloan’s Rhinoceros.—_Rhinoceros Keittoa_                  83
Viper, or Adder.—_Pelias Berus_                                       87
Hippopotamus, or Zeekoe.—_Hippopotamus Amphibius_                     91
Common Mouse.—_Mus Músculus_ (White, Brown and Pied Varieties)        92
Caribou.—_Larandus Rangifer_                                          95
Syrian Bear, or Dubb.—_Ursus Isabellinus_                             99
Hedgehog.—_Erinaceus Europæus_                                       100
Wild Boar.—_Sus Scrofa_                                              101
Silvery Gibbon.—_Hylóbates Leuciscus_                                102
The Orang-Outan.—_Simia Sátyrus_                                     103
Maltese Dog.—_Canis Familiáris_                                      105
Thibet Dog.—_Canis Familiáris_                                       106
Mustang                                                              109
Zebra.—_Ásinus Zebra_                                                110
Ass.—_Ásinus Vulgaris_                                               111
Merino, or Spanish Sheep                                             116
Musk Ox.—_Ovibos Moschátus_                                          119
Sea-Elephant.—_Morunga proboscidea_                                  122
Rorqual.—_Physalus Böops_                                            126
Spermaceti Whale.—_Cátodon Macrocéphalus_                            126
Dolphin.—_Delphinus Delphis_                                         130
Group of Seals                                                       135
Long-Spined Chætodon.—_Heinochus Monoceros_                          141
Filamentous Gunard.—_Pelor filamentosum_                             143
Otter.—_Lutra Vulgaris_                                              171
Bald, or White-Headed Eagle.—_Haliaëtus Leucocephalus_               183
Martial Eagle.—_Spizáëtus bellicosus_                                186
Group of Falcons                                                     189
Stork.—_Ciconia Alba_                                                200
Spotted King Fisher.—_Céryle Guttáta_                                217
Rhinoceros Hornbill.—_Búceros Rhinoceros_                            218
King Penguin.—_Aptenodytes Pennantii_                                222
Gigantic Salamander.—_Sieboldia Maxima_                              226
Hemigale.—_Hemigale Hardwickii_                                      227
Group of Rodent Animals                                              229
The Cat.—_Felis Domestica_                                           230
