§3.8ἔστι δὲ καὶ ὁ χόνδρος τῆς αὐτῆς φύσεως τοῖς ὀστοῖς, ἀλλὰ τῷ μᾶλλον διαφέρει καὶ ἧττον.
Cartilage also is of the same nature as the bones, but differs by the more and the less.
Καὶ ὥσπερ οὐδ’ ὀστοῦν οὐδ’ ὁ χόνδρος αὐξάνεται, ἂν ἀποκοπῇ.
And just like a bone, cartilage does not grow if it is cut off.
Εἰσὶ δ’ ἐν μὲν τοῖς χερσαίοις καὶ ζῳοτόκοις τῶν ἐναίμων ἄτρητοι οἱ χόνδροι, καὶ οὐ γίνεται ἐν αὐτοῖς ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς ὀστοῖς μυελός· ἐν δὲ τοῖς σελάχεσιν (ταῦτα γάρ ἐστι χονδράκανθα) ἔνεστιν αὐτῶν ἐν τοῖς πλατέσι τὸ κατὰ τὴν ῥάχιν ἀνάλογον τοῖς ὀστοῖς χονδρῶδες, ἐν οἷς ὑπάρχει ὑγρότης μυελώδης.
Now, in the terrestrial and viviparous of the red-blooded animals, the cartilages are unperforated, and no marrow is produced in them as in the bones; but in the selachians (for these are cartilaginous-spined), there is in the flat parts of them a cartilaginous substance analogous to the bones along the spine, in which a marrow-like fluid is present.
Τῶν ζῳοτοκούντων δὲ πεζῶν περί τε τὰ ὦτα χόνδροι εἰσὶ καὶ τοὺς μυκτῆρας καὶ περὶ ἔνια ἀκρωτήρια τῶν ὀστῶν.
And in terrestrial, viviparous animals, there are cartilages around the ears, the nostrils, and around some extremities of the bones.
§3.9Ἔτι δ’ ἐστὶν ἄλλα γένη μορίων, οὔτε τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχοντα φύσιν τούτοις οὔτε πόρρω τούτων, οἷον ὄνυχές τε καὶ ὁπλαὶ καὶ χηλαὶ καὶ κέρατα, καὶ ἔτι παρὰ ταῦτα ῥύγχος, οἷον ἔχουσιν οἱ ὄρνιθες, ἐν οἷς ὑπάρχει ταῦτα τὰ μόρια τῶν ζῴων.
Furthermore, there are other classes of parts which neither have the same nature as these nor are far from them, such as claws, hooves (both single and cloven), and horns, and moreover in addition to these, the beak, such as birds have, in those of the animals where these parts are present.
Ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ καὶ καμπτὰ καὶ σχιστά, ὀστοῦν δ’ οὐδὲν καμπτὸν οὐδὲ σχιστόν, ἀλλὰ θραυστόν.
For these are both bendable and splittable, but no bone is bendable or splittable, but rather brittle.
Καὶ τὰ χρώματα τῶν κεράτων καὶ τῶν ὀνύχων καὶ χηλῆς καὶ ὁπλῆς κατὰ τὴν τοῦ δέρματος καὶ τῶν τριχῶν ἀκολουθεῖ χρόαν. Τῶν τε γὰρ μελανοδερμάτων μέλανα τὰ κέρατα καὶ αἱ χηλαὶ καὶ αἱ ὁπλαί, ὅσα χηλὰς ἔχει, καὶ τῶν λευκῶν λευκά, μεταξὺ δὲ τὰ τῶν ἀνὰ μέσον.
And the colors of horns, claws, cloven hooves, and solid hooves follow the color of the skin and hair, for in those with black skin, the horns, cloven hooves, and solid hooves (in those that have cloven hooves) are black, and in those with white skin, they are white, while those of intermediate skin are intermediate.
Ἔχει δὲ καὶ περὶ τοὺς ὄνυχας τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον.
It is also the same way with the claws.
Οἱ δὲ ὀδόντες κατὰ τὴν τῶν ὀστῶν εἰσὶ φύσιν.
On the other hand, the teeth are according to the nature of the bones.
Διόπερ τῶν μελάνων ἀνθρώπων, ὥσπερ Αἰθιόπων καὶ τῶν τοιούτων, οἱ μὲν ὀδόντες λευκοὶ καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ, οἱ δ’ ὄνυχες μέλανες, ὥσ περ καὶ τὸ πᾶν δέρμα.
Therefore, in black men, such as Ethiopians and the like, the teeth and bones are white, but the claws are black, just like the whole skin.
Τῶν δὲ κεράτων τὰ μὲν πλεῖστα κοῖλά ἐστιν ἀπὸ τῆς προσφύσεως περὶ τὸ ἐντὸς ἐκπεφυκὸς ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς ὀστοῦν, ἐπ’ ἄκρου δ’ ἔχει τὸ στερεόν, καὶ ἔστιν ἁπλᾶ· τὰ δὲ τῶν ἐλάφων μόνα δι’ ὅλου στερεὰ καὶ πολυσχιδῆ.
Most of the horns are hollow from the point of attachment around the bone growing out from the inside of the head, but at the tip they have the solid part, and they are simple; but those of stags alone are solid throughout and branched.
Καὶ τῶν μὲν ἄλλων τῶν ἐχόντων κέρας οὐδὲν ἀποβάλλει τὰ κέρατα, ἔλαφος δὲ μόνον καθ’ ἕκαστον ἔτος, ἐὰν μὴ ἐκτμηθῇ· περὶ δὲ τῶν ἐκτετμημένων ἐν τοῖς ὕστερον λεχθήσεται.
And of the other animals that have horns, none shed their horns, but the stag alone does so every year, unless it has been castrated; concerning castrated ones, it will be discussed later.
Τὰ δὲ κέρατα προσπέφυκε μᾶλλον τῷ δέρματι ἢ τῷ ὀστῷ· διὸ καὶ ἐν Φρυγίᾳ εἰσὶ βόες καὶ ἄλλοθι κινοῦσαι τὰ κέρατα ὥσπερ τὰ ὦτα.
The horns are attached to the skin rather than to the bone; therefore, both in Phrygia and elsewhere, there are oxen that move their horns just like their ears.
Τῶν δ’ ἐχόντων ὄνυχας (ἔχει δ’ ὄνυχας ἅπαντα ὅσαπερ δακτύλους, δακτύλους δ’ ὅσα πόδας, πλὴν ἐλέφας· οὗτος δὲ καὶ δακτύλους ἀσχίστους καὶ ἠρέμα διηρθρωμένους καὶ ὄνυχας ὅλως οὐκ ἔχει) τῶν δ’ ἐχόντων τὰ μέν ἐστιν εὐθυώνυχα, ὥσπερ ἄνθρωπος, τὰ δὲ γαμψώνυχα, ὥσπερ καὶ τῶν πεζῶν λέων καὶ τῶν πτηνῶν ἀετός.
Of those that have claws (and all have claws that have digits, and all have digits that have feet, except the elephant; which has digits that are undivided and only slightly jointed, and has no claws at all)—of those that have them, some have straight nails, like man, and others have crooked talons, like the lion among land animals and the eagle among birds.
§3.10Περὶ δὲ τριχῶν καὶ τῶν ἀνάλογον καὶ δέρματος τόνδ’ ἔχει τὸν τρόπον.
Concerning hair and analogous structures, and skin, it is in the following manner.
Τρίχας μὲν ἔχει τῶν ζῴων ὅσα πεζὰ καὶ ζῳοτόκα, φολίδας δ’ ὅσα πεζὰ καὶ ᾠοτόκα, λεπίδας δ’ ἰχθύες μόνοι, ὅσοι ᾠοτοκοῦσι τὸ ψαθυρὸν ᾠόν· τῶν γὰρ μακρῶν γόγγρος μὲν οὐ τοιοῦτον ἔχει ᾠόν, οὐδ’ ἡ μύραινα, ἐγχέλυς δ’ ὅλως οὐκ ἔχει.
Of animals, those that are terrestrial and viviparous have hair, those that are terrestrial and oviparous have scutes, and fish alone have scales, as many of them as lay crumbly eggs; for among the long fish, the conger does not have such an egg, nor does the moray, and the eel does not have them at all.
Τὰ δὲ πάχη τῶν τριχῶν καὶ αἱ λεπτότητες καὶ τὰ μεγέθη διαφέρουσι κατὰ τοὺς τόπους, ἐν οἷς ἂν ὦσι τῶν μερῶν, καὶ ὁποῖον ἂν ᾖ τὸ δέρμα· ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ ἐν τοῖς παχυτέροις δέρμασι σκληρότεραι αἱ τρίχες καὶ παχύτεραι, πλείους δὲ καὶ μακρότεραι ἐν τοῖς κοιλοτέροις καὶ ὑγροτέροις, ἄνπερ ὁ τόπος ᾖ τοιοῦτος οἷος ἔχειν τρίχας.
The thicknesses, finenesses, and sizes of hair differ according to the places of the parts in which they may be, and what kind of skin it may be; for as a general rule, in thicker skins the hairs are harder and thicker, and more numerous and longer in hollower and moister parts, if the place is of such a nature as to have hair.
Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν λεπιδωτῶν ἔχει καὶ τῶν φολιδωτῶν.
And it is in the same manner concerning scaled and scuted structures.
Ὅσα μὲν οὖν μαλακὰς ἔχει τὰς τρίχας, εὐβοσίᾳ χρώμενα σκληροτέρας ἴσχει, ὅσα δὲ σκληράς, μαλακωτέρας καὶ ἐλάττους.
Now, those that have soft hair, when well nourished, get harder hair, and those that have hard hair get softer and less hair.
Διαφέρουσι δὲ καὶ κατὰ τοὺς τόπους τοὺς θερμοτέρους καὶ ψυχροτέρους, οἷον αἱ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τρίχες ἐν μὲν τοῖς θερμοῖς σκληραί, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ψυχροῖς μαλακαί.
They also differ according to hotter and colder places, as for example human hair is hard in hot regions and soft in cold ones.
Εἰσὶ δ’ αὖ αἱ μὲν εὐθεῖαι μαλακαί, αἱ δὲ κεκαμμέναι σκληραί.
Furthermore, straight hairs are soft, and curled ones are hard.