§6.3#1Ἡ δὲ γένεσις ἐκ τοῦ ᾠοῦ τοῖς ὄρνισι συμβαίνει μὲν τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον πᾶσιν, οἱ δὲ χρόνοι διαφέρουσι τῆς τελειώσεως, καθάπερ εἴρηται.
The generation from the egg in birds happens in the same manner for all, but the times of completion differ, as has been said.
Ταῖς μὲν οὖν ἀλεκτορίσι τριῶν ἡμερῶν καὶ νυκτῶν παρελθουσῶν ἐπισημαίνει τὸ πρῶτον, ταῖς δὲ μείζοσιν αὐτῶν ὄρνισιν ἐν πλείονι χρόνῳ, ταῖς δ’ ἐλάττοσιν ἐν ἐλάττονι.
For hens, then, when three days and nights have passed, signs of development first appear; for birds larger than them in a longer time, and for smaller ones in a shorter time.
Γίνεται δ’ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ ἤδη ἄνω τὸ ὠχρὸν προσεληλυθὸς πρὸς τὸ ὀξύ, ᾗπερ ἐστὶν ἡ ἀρχή τε τοῦ ᾠοῦ καὶ ἐκλέπεται τὸ ᾠόν, καὶ ὅσον στιγμὴ αἱματίνη ἐν τῷ λευκῷ ἡ καρδία.
In this time, the yolk has already risen up and approached the pointed end, where the beginning of the egg is and where the egg is hatched, and the heart is in the white, as small as a bloody point.
Τοῦτο δὲ τὸ σημεῖον πηδᾷ καὶ κινεῖται ὥσπερ ἔμψυχον, καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ δύο πόροι φλεβικοὶ ἔναιμοι ἑλισσόμενοι φέρουσιν αὐξανομένου εἰς ἑκάτερον τῶν χιτώνων τῶν περιεχόντων.
This point leaps and moves as if it had life, and from it two bloody, vein-like channels wind and lead, as it grows, to each of the surrounding membranes.
Καὶ ὑμὴν δ’ αἱματικὰς ἶνας ἔχων ἤδη περιέχει τὸ λευκὸν κατὰ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον ἀπὸ τῶν πόρων τῶν φλεβικῶν.
And a membrane with bloody fibers already surrounds the white at this time from these vein-like channels.
Ὀλίγον δ’ ὕστερον καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἤδη ἀποκρίνεται, μικρὸν τὸ πρῶτον πάμπαν καὶ λευκόν.
A little later, the body also is already distinguished, at first altogether small and white.
Δήλη δ’ ἡ κεφαλή, καὶ ταύτης οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ μάλιστ’ ἐμπεφυσημένοι· καὶ τοῦτο μέχρι πόρρω διατελεῖ· ὀψὲ γάρ ποτε μικροὶ γίνονται καὶ συμπίπτουσιν.
The head is clear, and of this the eyes are especially swollen; and this state continues for a long time; for it is only late that they become small and sink in.
Τοῦ δὲ σώματος τὸ κάτω μέρος οὐθὲν φαίνεται μόριον πρὸς τὸ ἄνω τὸ πρῶτον.
Of the body, no part of the lower portion appears at first in comparison to the upper portion.
Τῶν δὲ πόρων τῶν ἐκ τῆς καρδίας τεινόντων ὁ μὲν φέρει εἰς τὸ κύκλῳ περιέχον, ὁ δ’ εἰς τὸ ὠχρὸν ὥσπερ ὀμφαλὸς ὤν.
Of the channels extending from the heart, one leads to the surrounding membrane, and the other to the yolk, acting like an umbilical cord.
Ἡ μὲν οὖν ἀρχὴ τοῦ νεοττοῦ ἐστὶν ἐκ τοῦ λευκοῦ, ἡ δὲ τροφὴ διὰ τοῦ ὀμφαλοῦ ἐκ τοῦ ὠχροῦ.
Therefore, the beginning of the chick is from the white, and its nourishment is through the umbilical cord from the yolk.
Δεκαταίου δ’ ἤδη ὄντος ὁ νεοττὸς ὅλος διάδηλος καὶ τὰ μέρη πάντα.
By the tenth day, the chick is already entirely visible, and all its parts.
Ἔχει δ’ ἔτι τὴν κεφαλὴν μείζω τοῦ ἄλλου σώματος, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς κεφαλῆς, οὐκ ἔχοντάς πω ὄψιν.
It still has its head larger than the rest of its body, and the eyes larger than the head, not yet having sight.
Γίνονται δ’ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ περὶ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον ἐξαιρόμενοι μείζους κυάμων καὶ μέλανες· ἀφαιρουμένου δὲ τοῦ δέρματος ὑγρὸν ἔνεστι λευκὸν καὶ ψυχρόν, σφόδρα στίλβον πρὸς τὴν αὐγήν, στερεὸν δ’ οὐθέν.
About this time, the eyes project and become larger than beans, and black; and when the skin is removed, there is a white and cold liquid inside, shining brightly in the light, but nothing solid.
Τὰ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὰ ὄμματα καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦτον διάκειται τὸν τρόπον, ἔχει δ’ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ καὶ τὰ σπλάγχνα ἤδη φανερὰ καὶ τὰ περὶ τὴν κοιλίαν καὶ τὴν τῶν ἐντέρων φύσιν, καὶ αἱ φλέβες αἱ ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας φαινόμεναι τείνειν πρὸς τῷ ὀμφαλῷ ἤδη γίγνονται.
The parts around the eyes and head are disposed in this manner; and at this time, the viscera are also already visible, both the parts about the stomach and the nature of the intestines; and the veins appearing to extend from the heart towards the umbilical cord are already formed.
Ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ὀμφαλοῦ τέταται φλὲψ ἡ μὲν πρὸς τὸν ὑμένα τὸν περιέχοντα τὸ ὠχρόν (τὸ δ’ ὠχρὸν ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ ὑγρόν ἐστιν ἤδη, καὶ πλεῖον ἢ τὸ κατὰ φύσιν), ἡ δ’ ἑτέρα εἰς τὸν ὑμένα τὸν περιέχοντα ὅλον τόν τε ὑμένα ἐν ᾧ ὁ νεοττός, καὶ τὸν τοῦ ὠχροῦ ὑμένα καὶ τὸ μεταξὺ τούτων ὑγρόν.
And from the umbilical cord, one vein extends to the membrane surrounding the yolk (and the yolk at this time is already liquid, and more so than its natural state), and the other to the membrane surrounding the whole—both the membrane in which the chick is, and the membrane of the yolk, and the liquid between them.
Αὐξανομένου γὰρ τοῦ νεοττοῦ κατὰ μικρὸν τοῦ ὠχροῦ τὸ μὲν ἄνω γίνεται τὸ δὲ κάτω, ἐν μέσῳ δὲ τὸ λευκὸν ὑγρόν· τοῦ δὲ κάτω ὠχροῦ τὸ λευκὸν κάτωθεν, ὥσπερ τὸ πρῶτον ὑπῆρχεν.
For as the chick grows, part of the yolk gradually becomes upper and part lower, and in the middle is the liquid white; and under the lower yolk is the white, just as it was at first.
Δεκαταίου δ’ ὄντος τὸ λευκὸν ἔσχατον γίνεται, ὀλίγον ἤδη ὂν καὶ γλίσχρον καὶ παχὺ καὶ ὕπωχρον.
By the tenth day, the white becomes outermost, being now small in quantity, sticky, thick, and yellowish.
Τέτακται γὰρ τῇ θέσει ἕκαστα τόνδε τὸν τρόπον.
For each part is arranged in position in this manner.
Πρῶτος μὲν καὶ ἔσχατος πρὸς τὸ ὄστρακον ὁ τοῦ ᾠοῦ ὑμήν, οὐχ ὁ τοῦ ὀστράκου, ἀλλ’ ὑπ’ ἐκεῖνον.
First and outermost towards the shell is the membrane of the egg—not that of the shell, but the one below it.