§1.11μαλακόδερμα γοῦν τὰ ᾠὰ γεννῶσιν· διὰ γὰρ τὸ εἶναι ὀλιγόθερμα οὐ ξηραίνει αὐτῶν ἡ φύσις τὸ ἔσχατον.
At any rate, they produce soft-shelled eggs; for owing to their being deficient in heat, their nature does not dry the outermost part of the egg.
διὰ μὲν οὖν τὸ ψυχρὰ εἶναι μαλακόδερμα γεννῶσι, διὰ δὲ τὸ μαλακόδερμα οὐ θύραζε· διεφθείρετο γὰρ ἄν, ὅταν δὲ ζῷον ἐκ τοῦ ᾠοῦ γίγνηται, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον τὰ πλεῖστα γίγνεται ὅνπερ ἐν τοῖς ὄρνισιν· καταβαίνει γὰρ κάτω, καὶ γίγνεται ζῷα πρὸς τοῖς ἄρθροις, καθάπερ καὶ τοῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς εὐθὺς ζῳοτοκοῦσιν.
Because of being cold, therefore, they produce soft-shelled eggs, and because of the soft shell, they do not produce them externally; for they would be destroyed. But when the animal is generated from the egg, in most cases it happens in the very same way as in birds; for the egg descends below, and they become animals near the joints, just as in those that are directly viviparous from the beginning.
διὸ καὶ τὴν ὑστέραν τὰ τοιαῦτα ἔχει ἀνομοίαν καὶ τοῖς ζῳοτόκοις καὶ τοῖς ᾠοτόκοις, διὰ τὸ ἀμφοτέρων μετέχειν τῶν εἰδῶν· καὶ γὰρ πρὸς τῷ ὑποζώματι ἔχουσι καὶ κάτω πάρηκουσαν πάντα τὰ σελαχώδη.
Wherefore also such animals have a uterus unlike both viviparous and oviparous animals, because they share in both kinds; for all selachians have it near the diaphragm and also extending below.
δεῖ δὲ καὶ περὶ ταύτης καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὑστερῶν, ὃν τρόπον ἔχουσιν, ἔκ τε τῶν ἀνατομῶν τεθεωρηκέναι καὶ τῶν ἱστοριῶν.
But one must study how this and the other uteri are situated from the dissections and the histories.
ὥστε διὰ μὲν τὸ ᾠοτόκα εἶναι τελείων ᾠῶν ἄνω ἔχει, διὰ δὲ τὸ ζῳοτοκεῖν κάτω, καὶ ἀμφοτέρων μετειλήφασιν.
So, because of being oviparous of perfect eggs they have the uterus above, but because of being viviparous, below, and they have shared in both.
τὰ δ’ εὐθὺς ζῳοτοκοῦντα πάντα κάτω· οὐ γὰρ ἐμποδίζει τῆς φύσεως οὐδὲν ἔργον, οὐδὲ διττογονεῖ, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἀδύνατον ζῷα γίγνεσθαι πρὸς τοῖς ὑποζώμασιν· τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἔμβρυα βάρος ἔχειν ἀναγκαῖον, καὶ κίνησιν, ὁ δὲ τόπος ἐπίκαιρος ὢν τοῦ ζῆν οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο ταῦθ’ ὑπενεγκεῖν.
But those that are directly viviparous have it always below; for no function of nature impedes, nor do they generate in a twofold way; and in addition to this, it is impossible for animals to be formed near the diaphragm; for embryos must of necessity have weight and motion, and that region, being vital for life, would not be able to bear this.
ἔτι δ’ ἀνάγκη δυστοκίαν εἶναι διὰ τὸ μῆκος τῆς φορᾶς, ἐπεὶ καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ τῶν γυναικῶν, ἐὰν περὶ τὸν τόκον ἀνασπάσωσι χασμησάμεναι ἤ τι τοιοῦτον ποιήσασαι, δυστοκοῦσιν.
Moreover, there would of necessity be difficult labor because of the length of the passage, since even as it is, in the case of women, if they draw the uterus upward near the time of delivery by yawning or doing something of the sort, they have difficult labor.
καὶ κεναὶ δ᾽ οὖσαι αἱ ὑστέραι ἄνω προσιστάμεναι πνίγουσιν· καὶ γὰρ ἀνάγκη τὰς μελλούσας ζῷον ἕξειν ἰσχυροτέρας εἶναι, διὸ σαρκώδεις εἰσὶν αἱ τοιαῦται πᾶσαι, αἱ δὲ πρὸς τοῖς ὑποζώμασιν ὑμενώδεις.
And even when empty, the uterus, if it rises upward, causes suffocation; for it is necessary that those uteri which are to contain an animal should be stronger, wherefore all such are fleshy, whereas those near the diaphragm are membranous.
καὶ ἐπ’ αὐτῶν δὲ τῶν διγονίαν ποιουμένων ζῴων φανερὸν τοῦτο συμβαῖνον· τὰ μὲν γὰρ ᾠὰ ἄνω καὶ ἐν τῷ πλαγίῳ ἴσχουσι, τὰ δὲ ζῷα ἐν τῷ κάτω μέρει τῆς ὑστέρας.
And this is clearly seen to happen in the case of those very animals that perform a twofold generation; for they hold the eggs above and at the side, but the animals in the lower part of the uterus.
Δι’ ἣν μὲν οὖν αἰτίαν ὑπεναντίως ἔχουσι τὰ περὶ τὰς ὑστέρας ἔνια τῶν ζῴων, καὶ ὅλως διὰ τί τοῖς μὲν κάτω τοῖς δὲ ἄνω πρὸς τῷ ὑποζώματί εἰσιν, εἴρηται.
For what cause, then, the parts concerning the uterus in some animals are in contrary states, and in general why they are below in some and above near the diaphragm in others, has been stated.
§1.12διότι δὲ τὰς μὲν ὑστέρας ἔχουσι πάντα ἐντός, τοὺς δ’ ὄρχεις τὰ μὲν ἐκτὸς τὰ δ’ ἐντός, αἴτιον τοῦ μὲν τὰς ὑστέρας ἐντὸς εἶναι πᾶσιν, ὅτι ἐν ταύταις ἐστὶ τὸ γινόμενον, ὃ δεῖται φυλακῆς καὶ σκέπης καὶ πέψεως, ὁ δ’ ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματος τόπος εὔβλαπτος καὶ ψυχρός.
As to why all have the uterus inside, but as for the testes, some have them outside and some inside: the cause of the uterus being inside in all is that the developing fetus is in them, which needs protection, shelter, and concoction, whereas the place outside the body is easily injured and cold.
οἱ δ’ ὄρχεις τοῖς μὲν ἐντὸς τοῖς δ’ ἐκτὸς διὰ τὸ δεῖσθαι καὶ τούτους σκέπης καὶ καλύμματος πρός τε σωτηρίαν καὶ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ σπέρματος πέψιν· ἀδύνατον γὰρ ἐψυγμένους καὶ πεπηγότας ἀνασπάσθαι καὶ προΐεσθαι τὴν γονήν.
On the other hand, the testes are inside in some and outside in others because they too need shelter and covering both for safety and for the concoction of the semen; for it is impossible, if they are chilled and congealed, for them to be drawn up and to emit the semen.
διόπερ ὅσοις ἐν φανερῷ εἰσὶν οἱ ὄρχεις, ἔχουσι σκέπην δερματικὴν τὴν καλουμένην ὀσχέαν.
Therefore, those in which the testes are in plain sight have a skin covering called the scrotum.
ὅσοις δ’ ἡ τοῦ δέρματος φύσις ἐναντιοῦται διὰ σκληρότητα πρὸς τὸ μὴ περιληπτικὴν εἶναι μηδὲ μαλθακὴν καὶ δερματικήν, οἷον τοῖς τ’ ἰχθυῶδες ἔχουσι τὸ δέρμα καὶ τοῖς φολιδωτόν, τούτοις δ’ ἀναγκαῖον ἐντὸς ἔχειν.
But in those whose nature of skin is opposed, because of hardness, to being wrapping, soft, and skin-like, such as those that have a fish-like skin and those with scales, it is necessary for them to have them inside.
διόπερ οἵ τε δελφῖνες καὶ ὅσα τῶν κητωδῶν ὄρχεις ἔχουσιν, ἐντὸς ἔχουσι, καὶ τὰ ᾠοτόκα καὶ τετράποδα τῶν φολιδωτῶν.
Wherefore both dolphins and such of the cetaceans as have testes have them inside, as do also the oviparous quadrupeds among those with scales.
καὶ τὸ τῶν ὀρνίθων δὲ δέρμα σκληρόν, ὥστε κατὰ μέγεθος ἀσύμμετρον εἶναι περιλαβεῖν, καὶ ταύτην αἰτίαν εἶναι πᾶσι τούτοις πρὸς ταῖς εἰρημέναις πρότερον ἐκ τῶν περὶ τὰς ὀχείας συμβαινόντων ἀναγκαίων.
And the skin of birds is also hard, so that it is disproportionate to wrap them in accordance with their size, and this is the cause for all these, in addition to those previously mentioned arising from the necessities concerning copulation.
διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν δ’ αἰτίαν καὶ ὁ ἐλέφας καὶ ὁ ἐχῖνος ἔχουσιν ἐντὸς τοὺς ὄρχεις·
And for the same cause both the elephant and the hedgehog have their testes inside; for in their case too, the skin is not naturally suited to have a separate sheltering part.
οὐδὲ γὰρ τούτοις εὐφυὲς τὸ δέρμα πρὸς τὸ χωριστὸν ἔχειν τὸ σκεπαστικὸν μόριον, κεῖνται δὲ καὶ τῇ θέσει ὑπεναντίως αἱ ὑστέραι τοῖς τε ζῳοτοκοῦσιν ἐν αὑτοῖς καὶ τοῖς ᾠοτοκοῦσι θύραζε, καὶ τούτων τοῖς τε τὰς ὑστέρας ἔχουσι κάτω καὶ τοῖς πρὸς τῷ ὑποζώματι, οἷον τοῖς ἰχθύσι πρός τε τοὺς ὄρνιθας καὶ τὰ ᾠοτόκὰ τῶν τετραπόδων, καὶ τοῖς κατ’ ἀμφοτέρους τοὺς τρόπους γεννῶσιν, ἐν ἑαυτοῖς μὲν ᾠοτοκοῦσιν, εἰς δὲ τὸ φανερὸν ζῳοτοκοῦσιν.
The uteri are situated also in a contrary position in those that are viviparous within themselves and those that are oviparous externally, and among the latter, between those that have the uteri below and those near the diaphragm, as for instance fish compared to birds and oviparous quadrupeds, and also to those that generate in both ways, being oviparous within themselves but viviparous to the outside.
τὰ μὲν γὰρ ζῳοτοκοῦντα καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐκτὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γαστρὸς ἔχει τὰς ὑστέρας, οἷον ἄνθρωπος καὶ βοῦς καὶ κύων καὶ τἆλλα τὰ τοιαῦτα· πρὸς γὰρ τὴν τῶν ἐμβρύων σωτηρίαν καὶ αὔξησιν συμφέρει μηθὲν ἐπεῖναι βάρος ἐπὶ ταῖς ὑστέραις.
For those that are viviparous both within themselves and externally have the uteri near the belly, such as humans, oxen, dogs, and other such animals; for with a view to the safety and growth of the embryos, it is advantageous that no weight should lie upon the uteri.