I.bird-catching, fowling.
I. Lit.: “piscatu, aucupio, venatione, etc.,” Cic. Fin. 2, 8, 23; Pall. Dec. 6, 2: “noctuae,” id. Sept. 12.—Poet.: aucupium sagittarum, bird-taking with arrows, Att. ap. Cic. Fin. 5, 11, 32: “harundine sumptā Faunus plumoso sum deus aucupio,” Prop. 5, 2, 34; cf. Hermann. Opusc. III. p. 121.— Trop., a catching at, lying in wait for something: “facere aucupium auribus,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 1, 44 (cf. auceps and aucupor): “hoc novum est aucupium,” a new kind of fowling, new way of catching things, Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 16 (cf. the preced. verse, quaestus): “aucupium delectationis,” Cic. Or. 25, 84; 58, 197: aucupia verborum, a catching at words, quibbling; cf. auceps, id. Caecin. 23, 65: “nomenclationis,” Col. 3, 2, 31.—
II. Meton. (abstr. for concr.), the birds caught: qui tot res in se habet egregias, Aucupium, omne genus piscis, etc., * Cat. 114, 3; Cels. 2, 26; Sen. Prov. 3.
