Gaul and Macedonia they grow to a great size, but in Spain and in Italy they are not so large.  The second kind is native in Gaul near the Alps, and is white all over the body:  these are brought to Rome, but rarely.  The third kind is native in Spain and is like our hare in every way except that it is smaller and is called rabbit (cuniculus).[194] L. Aelius thinks that the hare (lepus) gets his name from his swiftness, as it were that he is light of foot (levipes), but I think the name is derived from the ancient Greek, because the Aeolians of Boeotia call him [Greek:  leporis].  The rabbits derive their latin name of cuniculi from the habit of making underground burrows to hide in [for cuniculus is a Spanish word for mine].  If possible you should have all these three kinds in your warren.  I am sure you already have the first two kinds,” Apius added, turning to me, “and, as you were so many years in Spain doubtless some rabbits followed you home."”

Of game preserves

XIII.  Then addressing himself again to Axius, Appius continued: 

“You know, of course, that wild boars are kept in game parks, and that those which are brought in wild are fattened with as little trouble as the tame ones which are born in the park, for you have doubtless seen at the farm near Tusculum, which Varro here bought from M. Pupius Piso, wild boars and roe bucks assemble at the sound of the trumpet to be fed at regular hours, when from a platform, the keeper scatters mast to the wild boars and vetch or some such forage to the roe bucks.”

“I saw this done,” put in Axius, “more dramatically when I was a visitor at the villa of Q. Hortensius in the country near Laurentum.  He has there a wood of more than fifty jugera in extent, all enclosed, but it might better be called a [Greek:  theriotropheion] than a warren; there on high ground he caused his dinner table to be spread, and while we supped Hortensius gave orders that Orpheus be summoned:  when he came, arrayed in his long robe, with a cithara in his hands, he was desired to sing.  At that moment a trumpet was sounded and at once Orpheus was surrounded by a large audience of deer and wild boars and other quadrupeds:  it seemed to be not less agreeable a spectacle than the shows of game, without African beasts, which the Aediles provide in the Circus Maximus.”

Of snails

XIV.  And turning to Merula, Axius continued:  “Appius has lightened your task, my dear Merula, so far as concerns the matter of game, and briefly the second act of our drama may be brought to an end, for I do not seek to learn any thing about snails and dormice, which is all that is left on the programme, for there can be no great trouble in keeping them.”

“It is not so simple as you seem to think, my dear Axius,” replied Merula, “for a place suitable for keeping snails[195] I must be not only in the open air but entirely surrounded by water, otherwise you will be kept running not only after the children but also the parents which you have supplied for breeding.”