§6.4Τίκτουσι δὲ πάντα μὲν τὰ περιστεροειδῆ δύο, οἷον φάττα καὶ τρυγὼν ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ, τὰ δὲ πλεῖστα τρία τρυγὼν καὶ φάττα.
All birds of the pigeon kind lay two eggs, as for instance the ring-dove and the turtle-dove for the most part; but at most they lay three, the turtle-dove and the ring-dove.
Τίκτει δ’ ἡ μὲν περιστερά, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, πᾶσαν ὥραν, τρυγὼν δὲ καὶ φάττα ἐν τῷ ἔαρι, οὐ πλεονάκις ἢ δίς· τίκτει δὲ τὰ δεύτερα, ὅταν τὰ πρότερον γεννηθέντα διαφθαρῇ· πολλαὶ γὰρ διαφθείρουσιν αὐτὰ τῶν ὀρνίθων.
The pigeon, as has been said, lays at all seasons, but the turtle-dove and the ring-dove in the spring, and not more than twice; and they lay the second time when the previously hatched ones have been destroyed; for many of the birds destroy them.
Τίκτει μὲν οὖν, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, καὶ τρία ποτέ· ἀλλ’ ἐξάγει οὐδέποτε δυοῖν πλέον νεοττοῖν, ἐνίοτε δὲ καὶ ἕνα μόνον· τὸ δ’ ὑπολειπόμενον τῶν ᾠῶν ἀεὶ οὔριόν ἐστιν.
Although they lay, as has been said, even three sometimes, yet they never bring up more than two chicks, and sometimes only one; and the remaining egg is always a wind-egg.
Τῶν δὲ πλείστων ὀρνέων οὐδὲν αὐτοετὲς γεννᾷ.
Of most birds, none breeds in its first year.
Ἄπαντες δ’ οἱ ὄρνιθες, ἐπειδὰν ἅπαξ ἄρξωνται τίκτειν, διὰ τέλους ὡς εἰπεῖν ἔχουσιν ᾠά, ἀλλ’ ἐν ἐνίοις διὰ μικρότητα οὐ ῥᾴδιον ἰδεῖν.
And all birds, when they have once begun to lay, have eggs, so to speak, throughout their lives, but in some, because of their smallness, it is not easy to see them.
Ἡ δὲ περιστερὰ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ ἄρρεν καὶ θῆλυ, καὶ τούτων ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ πρότερον τὸ ἄρρεν τίκτει· καὶ τεκοῦσα μίαν ἡμέραν διαλείπει τὰ πολλά, εἶτα πάλιν τίκτει θάτερον.
The pigeon for the most part lays a male and a female, and of these for the most part it lays the male first; and having laid one, it intermits mostly for one day, and then lays the other.
Ἐπῳάζει δὲ καὶ ὁ ἄρρην ἐν τῷ μέρει τῆς ἡμέρας, τὴν δὲ νύκτα ἡ θήλεια.
And the male also incubates in his turn during a part of the day, and the female during the night.
Ἐκπέττεταί τε καὶ ἐκλέπεται ἐντὸς εἴκοσιν ἡμερῶν τὸ γενόμενον πρότερον τῶν ᾠῶν· τιτρώσκει δὲ τὸ ᾠὸν τῇ προτεραίᾳ ἢ ἐκλέπει.
And the egg which was laid first is matured and hatched within twenty days; and it pecks the egg on the day before it hatches.
Καὶ συνθερμαίνουσι τοὺς νεοττοὺς ἀμφότεροι ἐπὶ χρόνον τὸν αὐτὸν ὅνπερ καὶ τὰ ᾠά.
And both parents warm the chicks together for the same length of time as they did the eggs.
Χαλεπωτέρα δὲ ἡ θήλειά ἐστι περὶ τὴν τεκνοτροφίαν τοῦ ἄρρενος, ὥσπερ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ζῷα μετὰ τὸν τόκον.
And the female is more cross about the rearing of the young than the male, just as other animals are after giving birth.
Τίκτουσι δὲ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ καὶ δεκάκις, ἤδη δέ τινες καὶ ἑνδεκάκις, αἱ δ’ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ δωδεκάκις.
And they lay even ten times in the year, and some already eleven times, and those in Egypt even twelve times.
Ὀχεύει δὲ καὶ ὀχεύεται ἡ περιστερὰ ἐντὸς ἐνιαυτοῦ· καὶ γὰρ ἕκμηνος ὀχεύει καὶ ὀχεύεται.
And the pigeon copulates and is copulated with within a year; for at six months it copulates and is copulated with.
Τὰς δὲ φάττας καὶ τὰς τρυγόνας ἔνιοί φασιν ὀχεύεσθαι καὶ γεννᾶν καὶ τρίμηνα ὄντα, σημεῖον ποιούμενοι τὴν πολυπλήθειαν αὐτῶν.
But some say that ring-doves and turtle-doves copulate and breed even when they are three months old, taking their great numbers as a proof.
Ἔγκυα δὲ γίνεται δέκα καὶ τέτταρας ἡμέρας, καὶ ἐπῳάζει ἄλλας τοσαύτας· ἐν ἑτέραις δὲ δέκα καὶ τέτταρσι πτεροῦνται οὕτως ὥστε μὴ ῥᾳδίως καταλαμβάνεσθαι.
And it is pregnant for fourteen days, and incubates for as many more; and in another fourteen days they are fledged so that they are not easily caught.
Βιοῖ δὲ φάττα, ὡς φασί, καὶ τετταράκοντα ἔτη· καὶ αἱ πέρδικες δὲ πλείω ἢ ἔτη ἑκκαίδεκα.
And the ring-dove lives, as they say, even forty years; and partridges more than sixteen years.
Τίκτει δὲ ἡ περιστερὰ ἀπονεοττεύουσα πάλιν ἐν τριάκονθ’ ἡμέραις.
And the pigeon, having cleared its nest of the young, lays again in thirty days.
§6.5Ὁ δὲ γὺψ νεοττεύει μὲν ἐπὶ πέτραις ἀπροσβάτοις· διὸ σπάνιον ἰδεῖν νεοττιὰν γυπὸς καὶ νεοττούς.
The vulture nests upon inaccessible rocks; wherefore it is rare to see a vulture's nest and chicks.
Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Ἡρόδωρος ὁ Βρύσωνος τοῦ σοφιστοῦ πατὴρ φησὶν εἶναι τοὺς γῦπας ἀφ’ ἑτέρας γῆς, ἀδήλου ἡμῖν, τοῦτό τε λέγων τὸ σημεῖον, ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἑώρακε γυπὸς νεοττιάν, καὶ ὅτι πολλοὶ ἐξαίφνης φαίνονται ἀκολουθοῦντες τοῖς στρατεύμασιν.
And because of this, Herodorus also, the father of Bryson the sophist, says that vultures come from another land, unknown to us, bringing forward this proof, that no one has seen a vulture's nest, and that many appear suddenly following the armies.
Τὸ δ’ ἐστὶ χαλεπὸν μὲν ἰδεῖν, ὦπται δ’ ὅμως.
But it is difficult to see, yet it has been seen.
Τίκτουσι δὲ δύο ᾠὰ οἱ γῦπες.
And vultures lay two eggs.
Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλα ὅσα σαρκοφάγα οὐκ ὦπται πλεονάκις ἢ ἅπαξ τίκτοντα, ἡ δὲ χελιδὼν δὶς νεοττεύει μόνον τῶν σαρκοφάγων· τῶν δὲ νεοττῶν ἄν τις ἔτι νέων ὄντων τῆς χελιδόνος τὰ ὄμματα ἐκκεντήσῃ, γίνονται ὑγιεῖς καὶ βλέπουσιν ὕστερον.
Now, none of the other carnivorous birds has been seen laying more than once, but the swallow alone of the carnivorous birds nests twice; and if anyone pricks out the eyes of the swallow's chicks while they are still young, they get well and see afterwards.