e fables soon became popular as a
school-book. Promythia and epimythia (introductions and morals) and
paraphrases, and imitations were frequent, such as the _Novus Avianus_ of
Alexander Neckam (12th century).

EDITIONS.--Cannegieter (1731), Lachmann (1845), Froehner (1862), [v.03
p.0060] Bahrens in _Poetae Latini Minores_, Ellis (1887). See Mueller, _De
Phaedri et Aviani Fabulis_ (1875); Unrein, _De Aviani Aetate_ (1885);
Hervieux, _Les Fabulistes latins_ (1894); _The Fables of Avian translated
into Englyshe ... by William Caxton at Westmynstre_ (1483).

AVIARY (from Lat. _avis_, a bird), called by older writers "volary," a
structure in which birds are kept in a state of captivity. While the habit
of keeping birds in cages dates from a very remote period, it is probable
that structures worthy of being termed aviaries were first used by the
ancient Romans, chiefly for the process of fattening birds for the table.
In Varro's time, 116-127 B.C., aviaries or "ornithones" (from Gr. [Greek:
ornis, ornithos], bird) were common. These consisted of two kinds, those
constructed for pleasure, in which were kept nightingales and other
song-birds, and those used entirely for keeping and fattening birds for
market or for the tables of their owners. Varro himself had an aviary for
song-birds exclusively, while Lucullus combined the two classes, keeping
birds both for pleasure and as delicacies for his table. The keeping of
birds for pleasure, however, was very rarely indulged in, while it was a
common practice with poulterers and others to have large ornithones either
in the city or at Sabinum for the fattening of thrushes and other birds for
food.

Ornithones consisted merely of four high walls and a roof, and were lighted
with a few very small windows, as the birds were considered to pine less if
they could not see their free companions outside. Water was introduced by
means of pipes, and conducted in narrow channels, and the birds were fed
chiefly upon dried figs, carefully peeled, and chewed into a pulp by
persons hired to perform this operation.

Turtle-doves were fattened in large numbers for the market on wheat and
millet, the latter being moistened with sweet wine; but thrushes were
chiefly in request, and Varro mentions one ornithon from which no less than
five thousand of these birds were sold for the table in one season.

The habit of keeping birds in aviaries, as we understand the term, for the
sake of the pleasure the