§6.12δελφὶς δὲ καὶ φάλαινα καὶ τὰ ἄλλα κήτη, ὅσα μὴ ἔχει βράγχια ἀλλὰ φυσητῆρα, ζῳοτοκοῦσιν, ἔτι δὲ πρίστις καὶ βοῦς·
The dolphin, the whale, and the other cetaceans, which do not have gills but a blowhole, are viviparous, and also the sawfish and the ox-ray.
οὐδὲν γὰρ τούτων φαίνεται ἔχον ᾠά, ἀλλ’ εὐθέως κύημα, ἐξ οὗ διαρθρουμένου γίνεται τὸ ζῷον, καθάπερ ἄνθρωπος καὶ τῶν τετραπόδων τὰ ζῳοτόκα.
For none of these is seen to have eggs, but immediately an embryo, from which as it becomes articulated the animal is formed, just like man and the viviparous quadrupeds.
Τίκτει δ’ ὁ μὲν δελφὶς τὰ μὲν πολλὰ ἕν, ἐνίοτε δὲ καὶ δύο· ἡ δὲ φάλαινα ἢ δύο τὰ πλεῖστα καὶ πλεονάκις, ἢ ἕν.
The dolphin for the most part brings forth one, but sometimes also two; the whale either two at most, and more frequently, one.
Ὁμοίως δὲ τῷ δελφῖνι καὶ ἡ φώκαινα· καὶ γάρ ἐστιν ὅμοιον δελφῖνι μικρῷ, γίνεται δ’ ἐν τῷ Πόντῳ.
And the porpoise is similar to the dolphin; for indeed it is like a small dolphin, and it occurs in the Pontus.
Διαφέρει δὲ φώκαινα δελφῖνος· ἔστι γὰρ τὸ μέγεθος ἔλαττον, εὐρύτερον δ’ ἐκ τοῦ νώτου· τὸ χρῶμα ἔχει κυανοῦν.
But the porpoise differs from the dolphin; for it is smaller in size, and broader across the back; it has a dark-blue colour.
Πολλοὶ δὲ δελφίνων τι γένος εἶναί φασι τὴν φώκαιναν.
And many say that the porpoise is a kind of dolphin.
Ἀναπνεῖ δὲ πάντα ὅσα ἔχει φυσητῆρα, καὶ δέχεται τὸν ἀέρα· πλεύμονα γὰρ ἔχουσιν.
And all that have a blowhole breathe, and take in the air; for they have lungs.
Καὶ ὅ γε δελφὶς ὦπται, ὅταν καθεύδῃ, ὑπερέχων τὸ ῥύγχος, καὶ ῥέγχει καθεύδων.
And the dolphin at least has been observed, when it sleeps, keeping its snout above water, and it snores while sleeping.
Ἔχει δ’ ὁ δελφὶς καὶ ἡ φώκαινα γάλα, καὶ θηλάζονται· καὶ εἰσδέχονται δὲ τὰ τέκνα μικρὰ ὄντα.
And the dolphin and the porpoise have milk, and are suckled; and they also receive their young when they are small.
Τὴν δ’ αὔξησιν τὰ τέκνα τῶν δελφίνων ποιοῦνται ταχεῖαν· ἐν ἔτεσι γὰρ δέκα μέγεθος λαμβάνουσι τέλεον.
And the young of dolphins make their growth rapidly; for in ten years they reach their full size.
Κύει δὲ δέκα μῆνας.
The female is pregnant for ten months.
Τίκτει δ’ ὁ δελφὶς ἐν τῷ θέρει, ἐν ἄλλῃ δ’ ὥρᾳ οὐδεμιᾷ· συμβαίει δὲ καὶ ἀφανίζεσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ κύνα περὶ τριάκονθ’ ἡμέρας.
And the dolphin brings forth in the summer, and at no other season; and it also happens that it disappears for about thirty days under the Dog-star.
Παρακολουθεῖ δὲ τὰ τέκνα πολὺν χρόνον, καὶ ἔστι τὸ ζῷον φιλότεκνον.
And it accompanies its young for a long time, and the animal is fond of its offspring.
Ζῇ δ’ ἔτη πολλά· δῆλοι γὰρ ἔνιοι γεγόνασι βιοῦντες οἱ μὲν πέντε καὶ εἴκοσιν ἔτη, οἱ δὲ τριάκοντα· ἀποκόπτοντες γὰρ ἐνίων τὸ οὐραῖον οἱ ἁλιεῖς ἀφιᾶσιν, ὥστε τούτῳ γνωρίζεσθαι τοὺς χρόνους αὐτῶν.
And it lives for many years; for some have been known to live, some twenty-five years, others thirty; for fishermen, cutting off the tail-fin of some of them, let them go, so that by this means their age is recognized.
Ἡ δὲ φώκη ἔστι μὲν τῶν ἐπαμφοτεριζόντων ζῴων· οὐ δέχεται μὲν γὰρ τὸ ὕδωρ, ἀλλ’ ἀναπνεῖ καὶ καθεύδει καὶ τίκτει ἐν τῇ γῇ μέν, πρὸς αἰγιαλοῖς δέ, ὡς οὖσα τῶν πεζῶν, διατρίβει δὲ τοῦ χρόνου τὸν πολὺν καὶ τρέφεται ἐκ τῆς θαλάττης, διὸ μετὰ τῶν ἐνύδρων περὶ αὐτῆς λεκτέον.
And the seal is one of those animals that partake of both natures; for it does not take in water, but breathes and sleeps and brings forth on land, near the shore, as being one of the terrestrial animals, but spends most of its time and gets its food from the sea, wherefore it must be treated of along with the aquatic animals.
Ζῳοτοκεῖ μὲν οὖν εὐθὺς ἐν αὑτῇ, καὶ τίκτει ζῷα, καὶ χόριον καὶ τἆλλα προΐεται ὥσπερ πρόβατον.
Now it is viviparous directly within itself, and brings forth live animals, and discharges the afterbirth and other things just like a sheep.
Τίκτει δ’ ἓν ἢ δύο, τὰ δὲ πλεῖστα τρία.
And it brings forth one or two, and at most three.
Καὶ μαστοὺς δ’ ἔχει δύο, καὶ θηλάζεται ὑπὸ τῶν τέκνων καθάπερ τὰ τετράποδα.
And it also has two teats, and is suckled by its young just like the quadrupeds.
Τίκτει δ’ ὥσπερ ἄνθρωπος πᾶσαν ὥραν τοῦ ἔτους, μάλιστα δ’ ἅμα ταῖς πρώταις αἰξίν.
And it brings forth, like man, at all seasons of the year, but especially along with the first goats.
Ἄγει δὲ περὶ δωδεκαταῖα ὄντα τὰ τέκνα εἰς τὴν θάλατταν πολλάκις τῆς ἡμέρας, συνεθίζουσα κατὰ μικρόν· τὰ δὲ κατάντη φέρεται, ἀλλ’ οὐ βαδίζει, διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι ἀπερείδεσθαι τοῖς ποσίν.
And it leads its young to the sea when they are about twelve days old, many times a day, habituating them by degrees; and they slide down the slopes, but do not walk, because they cannot support themselves on their feet.
Συνάγει δὲ καὶ συστέλλει ἑαυτήν· σαρκῶδες γάρ ἐστι καὶ μαλακόν, καὶ ὀστᾶ χονδρώδη ἔχει.
And it contracts and draws itself together; for it is fleshy and soft, and has cartilaginous bones.
Ἀποκτεῖναι δὲ φώκην χαλεπὸν βιαίως, ἐὰν μή τις πατάξῃ παρὰ τὸν κρόταφον· τὸ γὰρ σῶμα σαρκῶδες αὐτῆς.
And it is difficult to kill a seal by violence, unless one strikes it on the temple; for its body is fleshy.
Ἀφίησι δὲ φωνὴν ὁμοίαν βοΐ.
And it emits a voice like that of an ox.
Ἔχει δὲ καὶ τὸ αἰδοῖον ἡ θήλεια ὅμοιον βατίδι, πάντα δὲ τἆλλα γυναικί.
And the female has also its pudendum like that of a ray, but in all other respects like that of a woman.
Περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν ἐνύδρων καὶ ζῳοτοκούντων ἢ ἐν αὑτοῖς ἢ ἔξω ἡ γένεσις καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν τόκον τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον·
So then, concerning the aquatic animals that are viviparous either internally or externally, their generation and the matters regarding their birth are in this manner.