§2.8Ἔνια δὲ τῶν ζῴων ἐπαμφοτερίζει τὴν φύσιν τῷ τ’ ἀνθρώπῳ καὶ τοῖς τετράποσιν, οἷον πίθηκοι καὶ κῆβοι καὶ κυνοκέφαλοι.
Some animals have a double nature, sharing the characteristics of both man and quadrupeds, such as apes, monkeys, and baboons.
Ἔστι δ’ ὁ μὲν κῆβος πίθηκος ἔχων οὐράν.
The monkey is an ape with a tail.
Καὶ οἱ κυνοκέφαλοι δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχουσι μορφὴν τοῖς πιθήκοις, πλὴν μείζονές τ’ εἰσὶ καὶ ἰσχυρότεροι καὶ τὰ πρόσωπα ἔχοντες κυνοειδέστερα, ἔτι δ’ ἀγριώτερά τε τὰ ἤθη καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας ἔχουσι κυνοειδεστέρους καὶ ἰσχυροτέρους.
And baboons have the same form as apes, except that they are larger, stronger, and have faces more dog-like, and their dispositions are wilder, and they have teeth more dog-like and stronger.
Οἱ δὲ πίθηκοι δασεῖς μέν εἰσι τὰ πρανῆ ὡς ὄντες τετράποδες, καὶ τὰ ὕπτια δὲ ὡσαύτως ὡς ὄντες ἀνθρωποειδεῖς (τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐναντίως ἔχει καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τετραπόδων, καθάπερ ἐλέχθη πρότερον)· πλὴν ἥ τε θρὶξ παχεῖα, καὶ δασεῖς ἐπ’ ἀμφότερα σφόδρα εἰσὶν οἱ πίθηκοι.
Apes are hairy on their back parts, because they are quadrupeds, and likewise on their front parts, because they are human-like (for this is the reverse in humans and quadrupeds, as was said before); except that their hair is thick, and apes are very hairy on both sides.
Τὸ δὲ πρόσωπον ἔχει πολλὰς ὁμοιότητας τῷ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου· καὶ γὰρ μυκτῆρας καὶ ὧτα παραπλήσια ἔχει, καὶ ὀδόντας ὥσπερ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ τοὺς προσθίους καὶ τοὺς γομφίους.
Their face has many resemblances to that of man; for they have similar nostrils and ears, and teeth like man, both the incisors and the molars.
Ἔτι δὲ βλεφαρίδας τῶν ἄλλων τετραπόδων ἐπὶ θάτερα οὐκ ἐχόντων οὗτος ἔχει μὲν λεπτὰς δὲ σφόδρα, καὶ μᾶλλον τὰς κάτω, καὶ μικρὰς πάμπαν· τὰ γὰρ ἄλλα τετράποδα ταύτας οὐκ ἔχει.
Furthermore, whereas other quadrupeds do not have eyelashes on the other (lower) lid, the ape has them, though very thin, especially the lower ones, and altogether small; for other quadrupeds do not have these.
Ἔχει δ’ ἐν τῷ στήθει δύο θηλὰς μαστῶν μικρῶν.
It also has two nipples of small breasts on its chest.
Ἔχει δὲ καὶ βραχίονας ὥσπερ ἄνθρωπος, πλὴν δασεῖς· καὶ κάμπτει καὶ τούτους καὶ τὰ σκέλη ὥσπερ ἄνθρωπος, τὰς περιφερείας πρὸς ἀλλήλας ἀμφοτέρων τῶν κώλων.
And it has arms like man, except they are hairy; and it bends both these and its legs like man, directing the curvatures of both limbs toward one another.
Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις χεῖρας καὶ δακτύλους καὶ ὄνυχας ὁμοίους ἀνθρώπῳ, πλὴν πάντα ταῦτα ἐπὶ τὸ θηριωδέστερον.
In addition to these, it has hands, fingers, and nails similar to man, except that all these are more beast-like.
Ἰδίους δὲ τοὺς πόδας· εἰσὶ γὰρ οἷον χεῖρες μεγάλαι, καὶ οἱ δάκτυλοι ὥσπερ οἱ τῶν χειρῶν, ὁ μέσος μακρότατος, καὶ τὸ κάτω τοῦ ποδὸς χειρὶ ὅμοιον, πλὴν ἐπὶ τὸ μῆκος τὸ τῆς χειρὸς ἐπὶ τὰ ἔσχατα τεῖνον, καθάπερ θέναρ· τοῦτο δὲ ἐπ’ ἄκρου σκληρότερον, κακῶς καὶ ἀμυδρῶς μιμούμενον πτέρνην.
Its feet are peculiar; for they are like large hands, and the fingers are like those of the hands, the middle one being the longest, and the sole of the foot is like a hand, except that it extends in length toward the extremities, like a palm; and this is harder at the end, badly and obscurely imitating a heel.
Κέχρηται δὲ τοῖς ποσὶν ἐπ’ ἄμφω, καὶ ὡς χερσὶ καὶ ὡς ποσί, καὶ συγκάμπτει ὥσπερ χεῖρας.
It uses its feet for both purposes, both as hands and as feet, and folds them like hands.
Ἔχει δὲ τὸν ἀγκῶνα καὶ τὸν μηρὸν βραχεῖς ὡς πρὸς τὸν βραχίονα καὶ τὴν κνήμην.
It has the elbow and the thigh short in comparison to the upper arm and the shin.
Ὀμφαλὸν δ’ ἐξέχοντα μὲν οὐκ ἔχει, σκληρὸν δὲ τὸ κατὰ τὸν τόπον τοῦ ὀμφαλοῦ.
It does not have a protruding navel, but the region of the navel is hard.
Τὰ δ’ ἄνω τοῦ κάτω πολὺ μείζονα ἔχει, ὥσπερ τὰ τετράποδα· σχεδὸν γὰρ ὡς πέντε πρὸς τρία ἐστί.
It has its upper parts much larger than its lower parts, just like quadrupeds; for the ratio is almost five to three.
Καὶ διά τε ταῦτα καὶ διὰ τὸ τοὺς πόδας ἔχειν ὁμοίους χερσὶ καὶ ὡσπερανεὶ συγκειμένους ἐκ χειρὸς καὶ ποδός, ἐκ μὲν ποδὸς κατὰ τὸ τῆς πτέρνης ἔσχατον, ἐκ δὲ χειρὸς τἆλλα μέρη· καὶ γὰρ οἱ δάκτυλοι ἔχουσι τὸ καλούμενον θέναρ.
It is both for these reasons and because its feet are similar to hands and are, as it were, composed of hand and foot—of foot in respect to the extremity of the heel, and of hand in the other parts; for indeed its fingers have the so-called palm.
Διατελεῖ δὲ τὸν πλείω χρόνον τετράπουν ὂν μᾶλλον ἢ ὀρθόν· καὶ οὔτ’ ἰσχία ἔχει ὡς τετράπουν ὂν οὔτε κέρκον ὡς δίπουν, πλὴν μικρὰν τὸ ὅλον, ὅσον σημείου χάριν.
It continues for most of the time being a quadruped rather than erect; and it has neither buttocks, as being a quadruped, nor a tail, as being a biped, except a small one altogether, just for the sake of a sign.
Ἔχει δὲ καὶ τὸ αἰδοῖον ἡ θήλεια ὅμοιον γυναικί, ὁ δ’ ἄρρην κυνωδέστερον ἢ ἄνθρωπος.
And the female has her pudenda similar to a woman, while the male has them more dog-like than man.
§2.9Οἱ δὲ κῆβοι, καθάπερ εἴρηται πρότερον, ἔχουσι κέρκον.
Monkeys, as was said before, have a tail.
Τὰ δ’ ἐντὸς διαιρεθέντα ὅμοια ἔχουσιν ἀνθρώπῳ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα.
And their internal organs, when dissected, are all similar to those of man.
Τὰ μὲν οὖν τῶν εἰς τὸ ἐκτὸς ζῳοτοκούντων μόρια τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον.
These, then, are the characters of the parts of viviparous animals.
§2.10Τὰ δὲ τετράποδα μὲν ᾠοτόκα δὲ καὶ ἔναιμα (οὐδὲν δὲ ᾠοτοκεῖ χερσαῖον καὶ ἔναιμον μὴ τετράπουν ὂν ἢ ἄπουν) κεφαλὴν μὲν ἔχει καὶ αὐχένα καὶ νῶτον καὶ τὰ πρανῆ καὶ τὰ ὕπτια τοῦ σώματος, ἔτι δὲ σκέλη πρόσθια καὶ ὀπίσθια καὶ τὸ ἀνάλογον τῷ στήθει, ὥσπερ τὰ ζῳοτόκα τῶν τετραπόδων, καὶ κέρκον τὰ μὲν πλεῖστα μείζω, ὀλίγα δ’ ἐλάττω.
On the other hand, quadrupeds that are oviparous and blooded (and no terrestrial blooded animal lays eggs unless it is a quadruped or limbless) have a head, neck, back, the upper and lower parts of the body, and further, fore and hind legs, and the analogue of the chest, just like the viviparous quadrupeds, and most of them have a larger tail, and a few a smaller.
Πάντα δὲ πολυδάκτυλα καὶ πολυσχιδῆ ἐστὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα.
And all such animals are many-toed and deeply divided.
Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τὰ αἰσθητήρια καὶ γλῶτταν πάντα, πλὴν ὁ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ κροκόδειλος.
In addition to these, they all have sense organs and a tongue, except the crocodile in Egypt.
Οὗτος δὲ παραπλησίως τῶν ἰχθύων τισίν· ὅλως μὲν γὰρ οἱ ἰχθύες ἀκανθώδη καὶ οὐκ ἀπολελυμένην ἔχουσι τὴν γλῶτταν, ἔνιοι δὲ πάμπαν λεῖον καὶ ἀδιάρθρωτον τὸν τόπον μὴ ἐγκλίναντι σφόδρα τὸ χεῖλος.
The latter is similar to certain fish; for in general, fish have a spiny tongue that is not free, and in some the place is altogether smooth and indistinct unless one bends the lip down very much.
Ὦτα δ’ οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἀλλὰ τὸν πόρον τῆς ἀκοῆς μόνον πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα· οὐδὲ μαστούς, οὐδ’ αἰδοῖον, οὐδ’ ὄρχεις ἔξω φανεροὺς ἀλλ’ ἐντός, οὐδὲ τρίχας, ἀλλὰ πάντ’ ἐστὶ φολιδωτά.
Such animals do not have ears, but only the passage of hearing; nor do they have breasts, nor external pudenda, nor testes visible outside but inside, nor hair, but they are all scaly.
Ἔτι δὲ καρχαρόδοντα πάντα.
Furthermore, they are all saw-toothed.
Οἱ δὲ κροκόδειλοι οἱ ποτάμιοι ἔχουσιν ὀφθαλμοὺς μὲν ὑός, ὀδόντας δὲ μεγάλους καὶ χαυλιόδοντας καὶ ὄνυχας ἰσχυροὺς καὶ δέρμα ἄρρηκτον φολιδωτόν· βλέπουσι δ’ ἐν μὲν τῷ ὕδατι φαύλως, ἔξω δ’ ὀξύτατον.
River crocodiles have eyes like those of a pig, large teeth and tusks, strong claws, and an unbreakable scaly hide; they see poorly in the water, but most sharply outside.
Τὴν μὲν οὖν ἡμέραν ἐν τῇ γῇ τὸ πλεῖστον διατρίβει, τὴν δὲ νύκτα ἐν τῷ ὕδατι· ἀλεεινότερον γάρ ἐστι τῆς αἰθρίας.
Now during the day they spend most of their time on land, but at night in the water; for it is warmer than the open air.