§5.2Ὀχεύεται μὲν οὖν ταῦτα τῶν ζῴων ἐν οἷς ὑπάρχει τὸ θῆλυ καὶ τὸ ἄρρεν, εἰσὶ δ’ αἱ ὀχεῖαι οὔθ’ ὅμοιαι πᾶσιν οὔθ’ ὁμοίως ἔχουσαι.
Now, those of the animals in which the female and the male exist copulate, but their copulations are neither similar in all nor do they take place in the same way.
Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ζῳοτόκα καὶ πεζὰ τῶν ἐναίμων ἔχει μὲν ὄργανα πάντα τὰ ἄρρενα πρὸς τὴν πρᾶξιν τὴν γεννητικήν, οὐ μὴν ὁμοίως γε πάντα πλησιάζουσιν, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ὀπισθουρητικὰ συνιόντα πυγηδόν, οἷον λέοντες καὶ δασύποδες καὶ λύγκες· τῶν δὲ δασυπόδων καὶ πολλάκις ἡ θήλεια προτέρα ἀναβαίνει ἐπὶ τὸν ἄρρενα.
For the viviparous and land-dwelling of the red-blooded animals have all the male organs for the generative act, yet they do not all couple in the same way, but some, being animals that discharge urine backwards, come together rump to rump, as lions, hares, and lynxes; and in the case of hares, often the female even mounts the male first.
Τῶν δ’ ἄλλων τῶν μὲν πλείστων ὁ αὐτὸς τρόπος· τὸν ἐνδεχόμενον γὰρ ποιοῦνται συνδυασμὸν τά τε πλεῖστα τῶν τετραπόδων, ἐπιβαίνοντος ἐπὶ τὸ θῆλυ τοῦ ἄρρενος, καὶ τὸ τῶν ὀρνίθων ἅπαν γένος οὕτω τε καὶ μοναχῶς.
For most of the others, the manner is the same; for most of the quadrupeds perform their copulation in the possible way, the male mounting the female, and the entire class of birds does so in this way and in no other.
Εἰσὶ δὲ διαφοραί τινες καὶ περὶ τοὺς ὄρνιθας· τὰ μὲν γὰρ συγκαθείσης τῆς θηλείας ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐπιβαίνει τὸ ἄρρεν, ὥσπερ αἱ ὠτίδες καὶ οἱ ἀλεκτρυόνες, τὰ δ’ οὐ συγκαθείσης τῆς θηλείας, οἷον αἱ γέρανοι· ἐν τούτοις γὰρ ὁ ἄρρην ἐπιπηδῶν ὀχεύει τὴν θήλειαν, καὶ συγγίνεται ὥσπερ καὶ τὰ στρουθία ὀξέως.
But there are some differences also concerning the birds; for in some, the male mounts while the female lowers herself to the ground, as bustards and domestic fowls, but in others, without the female lowering herself, as cranes; for in these, the male leaps up and copulates with the female, and they couple rapidly, just like sparrows.
Τῶν δὲ τετραπόδων αἱ ἄρκτοι παρακεκλιμέναι τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ὅνπερ τἆλλα ἐπὶ τῶν ποδῶν ποιούμενα τὴν ὀχείαν, πρὸς τὰ πρανῆ τῶν θηλειῶν τὰ ὕπτια τῶν ἀρρένων· οἱ δὲ χερσαῖοι ἐχῖνοι ὀρθοὶ τὰ ὕπτια πρὸς ἄλληλα ἔχοντες.
Among the quadrupeds, bears perform their copulation lying down, in the same manner as the other animals which perform it on their feet—that is, with the bellies of the males against the backs of the females; but land hedgehogs do so upright, having their bellies against each other.
Τῶν δὲ ζῳοτόκων καὶ μέγεθος ἐχόντων οὔτε τοὺς ἄρρενας ἐλάφους αἱ θήλειαι ὑπομένουσιν, εἰ μὴ ὀλιγάκις, οὔτε τοὺς ταύρους αἱ βόες διὰ τὴν τοῦ αἰδοίου συντονίαν, ἀλλ’ ὑπάγοντα τὰ θήλεα δέχονται τὴν γονήν· καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐλάφων ὦπται τοῦτο συμβαῖνον, τῶν γε τιθασσῶν.
Among the viviparous animals of large size, neither do the female deer stand for the males, except rarely, nor do the cows for the bulls, because of the rigidity of the penis, but the females receive the semen while moving forward; indeed, this has been seen to happen in the case of deer, at least those that are tame.
Λύκος δ’ ὀχεύει καὶ ὀχεύεται τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ὅνπερ καὶ κύων.
The wolf copulates and is copulated with in the same manner as the dog.
Οἱ δ’ αἴλουροι οὐκ ὄπισθεν συνιόντες, ἀλλ’ ὁ μὲν ὀρθός, ἡ δὲ θήλεια ὑποτίθησιν ἑαυτήν· εἰσὶ δὲ τῇ φύσει αἱ θήλειαι ἀφροδισιαστικαί, καὶ προσάγονται τοὺς ἄρρενας εἰς τὰς ὀχείας, καὶ συνοῦσαι κράζουσιν.
Cats couple not by coming together from behind, but the male stands upright while the female places herself underneath him; and the female cats are by nature lustful, and entice the males to copulations, and cry out while coupling.
Αἱ δὲ κάμηλοι ὀχεύονται τῆς θηλείας καθημένης· περιβεβηκὼς δὲ ὁ ἄρρην ὀχεύει οὐκ ἀντίπυγος, ἀλλὰ καθάπερ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τετράποδα· καὶ διημερεύει τὸ μὲν ὀχεῦον τὸ δ’ ὀχευόμενον.
Camels copulate with the female sitting down; and the male, having mounted, copulates not rump to rump, but just like the other quadrupeds; and they spend the whole day, both the one copulating and the one being copulated with.
Ἀποχωροῦσι δ’ εἰς ἐρημίαν, ὅταν ποιῶνται τὴν ὀχείαν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι πλησιάσαι ἀλλ’ ἢ τῷ βόσκοντι.
They retire into deserts when they perform their copulation, and it is not possible to approach them except for the herdsman.
Τὸ δ’ αἰδοῖον ἔχει ὁ κάμηλος νεῦρον οὕτως ὥστε καὶ νευρὰν ἐκ τούτου ποιεῖσθαι τοῖς τόξοις.
The camel has its penis made of sinew, so that even bowstrings are made from it.
Οἱ δ’ ἐλέφαντες ὀχεύονται μὲν ἐν ταῖς ἐρημίαις, μάλιστα δὲ περὶ τοὺς ποταμοὺς καὶ οὗ διατρίβειν εἰώθασιν· ὀχεύεται δ’ ἡ μὲν θήλεια συγκαθιεῖσα καὶ διαβαίνουσα, ὁ δ’ ἄρρην ἐπαναβαίνων ὀχεύει.
Elephants copulate in deserts, and especially near rivers and where they are accustomed to spend their time; the female copulates by lowering herself and straddling, while the male, mounting upon her, copulates.
Ὀχεύεται δὲ καὶ ἡ φώκη καθάπερ τὰ ὀπισθουρητικὰ τῶν ζῴων, καὶ συνέχονται ἐν τῇ ὀχείᾳ πολὺν χρόνον, ὥσπερ καὶ αἱ κύνες· ἔχουσι δὲ τὸ αἰδοῖον μέγα οἱ ἄρρενες.
The seal also copulates like the animals that discharge urine backwards, and they hold together in copulation for a long time, just like dogs; and the males have a large penis.
§5.3Τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ τρόπον καὶ τῶν πεζῶν τὰ τετράποδα καὶ ᾠοτόκα ποιεῖται τὴν ὀχείαν.
In the same manner, the land-dwelling, quadrupeds, and oviparous animals also perform their copulation.
Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐπιβαίνοντα καθάπερ τὰ ζῳοτόκα, οἷον χελώνη καὶ ἡ θαλαττία καὶ ἡ χερσαία.
For some mount just like the viviparous ones, as the tortoise, both the marine and the terrestrial.
Ἔχουσι δέ τι εἰς ὃ οἱ πόροι συνάπτουσιν καὶ ᾧ ἐν τῇ ὀχείᾳ πλησιάζουσιν, οἷον τρυγόνες καὶ βάτραχοι καὶ πᾶν τὸ τοιοῦτον γένος.
And they have a certain part into which the passages join and by which they couple in copulation, as turtledoves, frogs, and all such kind.
§5.4Τὰ δ’ ἄποδα καὶ μακρὰ τῶν ζῴων, οἷον ὄφεις τε καὶ σμύραιναι, περιπλεκόμενοι τοῖς ὑπτίοις πρὸς τὰ ὕπτια.
Those of the animals that are footless and long, as serpents and moray eels, couple by entwining themselves belly to belly.
Οὕτω δὲ σφόδρα οἱ ὄφεις περιελίττονται ἀλλήλοις, ὥστε δοκεῖν ἑνὸς ὄφεως δικεφάλου εἶναι τὸ σῶμα ἅπαν.
And serpents wind around each other so intensely that the whole body seems to be that of a single two-headed serpent.
Τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ τρόπον καὶ τὸ τῶν σαύρων γένος· ὁμοίᾳ γὰρ περιπλοκῇ ποιοῦνται τὴν ὀχείαν.
In the same manner also is the class of lizards; for they perform their copulation with a similar entanglement.