- On the Erculin and Ercolin of the G.T., written Arculin in
next chapter, Arcolino of Ramusio, Herculini of Pipino, no light is
thrown by the Italian or other editors. One supposes of course some animal
of the ermine or squirrel kinds affording valuable fur, but I can find no
similar name of any such animal. It may be the Argali or Siberian Wild
Sheep, which Rubruquis mentions: "I saw another kind of beast which is
called Arcali; its body is just like a ram's, and its horns spiral like
a ram's also, only they are so big that I could scarcely lift a pair of
them with one hand. They make huge drinking-vessels out of these" (p.
230). [See I. p. 177.]
Vair, so often mentioned in mediaeval works, appears to have been a name
appropriate to the fur as prepared rather than to the animal. This appears
to have been the Siberian squirrel called in French petit-gris, the back
of which is of a fine grey and the belly of a brilliant white. In the
Vair (which is perhaps only varius or variegated) the backs and
bellies were joined in a kind of checquer; whence the heraldic checquer
called by the same name. There were two kinds, menu-vair corrupted into
minever, and gros-vair, but I cannot learn clearly on what the
distinction rested. (See Douet d'Arcq, p. xxxv.) Upwards of 2000
ventres de menuvair were sometimes consumed in one complete suit of
robes (Ib.
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