In the
religion of Ancient Rome, a
haruspex (plural
haruspices) was a person trained to practice a form of
divination called
haruspicy (
haruspicina) the inspection of the entrails
(exta), hence also
extispicy (
extispicium) of
sacrificed animals, especially the
livers of sacrificed
sheep and
poultry. The reading of omens specifically from the liver is also known by the Greek term
hepatoscopy (also
hepatomancy).