Castigationes Plinianae et in Pomponium Melam

...is [the origin], whence sexquiplum one and a half, sexquihora an hour and a half, sexquipes a foot and a half. For flexibula does not descend from the Greek word—that is, apo tou bou from the ox—but follows the same form as rutabula, exorabula, postribula. If the word Pantomimus pleases someone greatly, I do not fight it, provided he keeps the rest of what I have said. A third way also occurs if perhaps the ancient reading delights one in this fashion: "Our men are coarser in antiquity, of examples and arts, than the most witty of the night-works"—so far as before. Then follows puto I think, who says: "I was Bibaculus and I was called a little too much," he asserts; so that it is said as if by irony, like that: "I think Hannibal was at the gates," and words of this sort. Puto, he says, paulo nimis afferere to assert a little too much, polliceri to promise, vendicare to claim; let him see to himself who said of himself "I was and I was called Bibaculus." So far is he from having sought those showy and magnificent types of inscriptions. But what is added: "Varro in his satires lifted and flexible things," will have an easy understanding if you take the word sustulit lifted/raised for that which is erexit erected and suscitavit awakened, for which meaning six hundred examples and testimonies of the ancients subscribe.
Ex eadé præfatione.

"Among the Greeks, let Diodorus cease to trifle, and he inscribed his history in libraries." Some read bibliothecas in the accusative case; I myself [read] bibliotheces in the paternal [case], for thus his books are inscribed: Aporpou tou skeloutes bibliothekes protos Apollodorus of the library, first.
Ex eadé præfatione.

"Appion a certain grammarian." It must be read quidem indeed, not quidam a certain one, lest he be believed to have been ignoble and obscure; otherwise, he was celebrated in his own art, as is established. Seneca: "Appion," he says, "the grammarian who circled all of Greece under C. Caesar." A little below also: "For thus I would speak more truly, since I hear both the Stoics." It must be read not quoniam since, but q. [quae] which I hear, [according to] ancient codices.
Ex eadé præfatione.

"Of C. Tubero also against Theophrastus." I read: "As if I were ignorant against Theophrastus," otherwise the understanding would not stand, nor the truth, that Theophrastus was from Eresos, a town of Lesbos, and initially called Tyrtamus, is more common than that it needs to be warned. There was also Phanias of Eresos who wrote about plants, as he did. The Roman codices printed with types have it otherwise, in this way: "We perceive also against Theophrastus," and the rest. But this is an obsolete, distorted, and clearly fabricated reading. Ours, however, agrees both with the hand-written copies and with Plinian gravity and custom. Regarding this woman, Cicero's words are in the first volume of On the Nature of the Gods: "Even the little harlot Leontium," he says, "dared to write against Theophrastus." A little lower: "That there will be many who read unwillingly." The old reading is double. One has: "That there will be many who so reject that they choose." Another is more probable, of which Fabricius Camers, a diligent and well-learned man, warned me: "That there will be many who read for utility." This and the following confirm it: "Therefore," he says, "safe even against the detractors," and the rest. In all ancient copies, immediately after the preface, these words are read which were omitted by the printers: "Of C. Pliny Secundus, of the histories of the world, the elenchos index of all thirty-seven books, book one which is the first." Elenchos in Greek is nearly the same as syllabos summary, as Cicero writes in the letters to Atticus, as if a comprehension; but in Latin, Index, from apotulechein to refute/disclose and that which signifies to argue and to disclose that which is accustomed; indices are named from indicando indicating. There are also other meanings of Elenchus, but so that all may seem to be derived from one fountain.
Elenchos Indices

"T. Cicerone." It must be read Tullio Tirone Tullius Tiro; ancient codices. Here he wrote the pandects comprehensive collections by the authority of Gellius. Likewise: "Iuho aquilaq. item." It must be read: "I. Aquila who likewise."
Ex eodé indice libri fecüdi.

"Timarcho: petofiri: neocepfo." It must be read: "Timarcho, Sosigene, Petofiri, Necepso"; ancient codices.
Ex indice tertii.

"Turanio gracculo." It must be written Graccula; Pliny in the preface of the third book. A little below also: "Rigino." It must be read Igino; ancient codices and the indices of the following books on the situation of the world. Concerning him, also Suetonius in De Grammaticis On Grammarians.
Ex eodé indice tertii libri & quarti.

"Hellanico damasceno." The old reading is Demaste, not Damesceno. Also a little later: "Callimacho siculo." It must be written: "Callimacho, Artemidoro, Appollodoro, Agatocle, Eumacho Siculo." Also: "Atheto philologo." It must be written, from Festus and Suetonius on grammarians: "Ateio Philologo."
Ex indice quarti.

"Malore." The old reading and the fourth book: Pliny Malote from his country, as Aristophanes Malotes; concerning whom M. Varro: Strabo Krates ho Malotes Crates the Malotian. Not indeed is it understood here of Crates, as I think, but of Philistides, who is also called Malotes, unless someone thinks there are two Crates: one by the nomenclature of the grammarian, the other of Malotis; although he who is surnamed Malotes by Strabo seems also to have been a grammarian.
Ex eodem quarti indice.

"Eratothene and below: Aleneponte and below: Agorastocrito." The old reading: "Aedosthene, Menephote, Aristocrito." But Agoractocritus is also named among the authors by most. Below: "Menechino." It must be read Menaechmo, just as Menaechmi in Plautus. Which both Athenaeus and others frequently affirm. You might find also Menecinios, but they are peoples in Oenotria, from the city Menecina, as Hecataeus says: whence Menecinae also and Menecine.
Menaechmi

Menecinei

Ex indice quinti libri.

"Indus fluuius." The corrupt place in the fifth volume inside, for which reason we shall suspect [it], we shall teach.
Ex eodem quintide.

"Possidonio qui peri pluton id est de diuitiis peri egeeseos id est de terræ ambitu." It must be read: "Possidonio, who [wrote] Peri Ploutou On Wealth, that is, on riches; Peri Geographias On Geography, that is, on the circumference of the earth."