AUCEPS
AUCEPS a bird-catcher, fowler (Ov.
A.
A. 3.669 ; Varr.
L. L. 8.61, and ap. Non. 1, 97),
the occupation called
aucupium (Pallad. 13.6).
The Romans, like the modern Italians, were fond of the flesh of small birds,
and caught them in large quantities. In great families slaves were employed
for this purpose, forming a part of the
familia
rustica, but freedmen and poor people also caught small birds,
which they sold at Rome in the vicus Tuscus, near the Forum (Hor.
Sat. 2.3, 227; cf. Plaut.
Trin. 2.4, 7). The fowlers used for catching birds gins and
snares (
laquei, Pallad. 13.6;
pedicae,
Verg. G. 1.307), rods tipped with bird-lime
(
arundines, calami,
Mart. 9.54,
3;
Petron. 40;
Sil. Ital. 7.674;
V. Fl. 6.260
seq.; Plaut.
Bacch. 1.1, 17;
calami aucupatorii,
Mart. 14.218) [
CALAMUS 6]; clap-nets, held by two parallel rods or
poles (
amites, Pallad. 10.12; Hor.
Epod. 2.33;
amites, perticae
aucupales, Fest. p. 21, Müller), in connexion with which
decoy-(
illex) or call-birds, especially the
owl (
noctua), were used (Pallad.
l.c.; Plaut.
As. 1.3, 67); traps
(
transennae, Plaut.
Bacch.
4.5, 22; id.
Rud. 4.7, 10; id.
Pers. 4.3, 10),
&c. The time for catching birds was from December to March (Pallad.
13.6); and the birds most frequently mentioned as caught were thrushes
(
turdi, Pallad.
l.c.; Hor.
Epod. 2.33; Plaut.
Bacch.
4.5, 22). (See Rein, in Pauly,
Encyclop. ii.2 s. v.)
[
W.S]
