The Boys' and Girls' Pliny / Being parts of Pliny's "Natural History" edited for boys and girls, with an Introduction

by the Elder Pliny

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