§10.55Διὰ τί τὰ θαλάττια ζῷα τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ μείζω καὶ εὐτραφέστερά ἐστιν;
Why are marine animals larger and better nourished than those on land?
ἢ ὅτι ὁ ἥλιος καταδαπανῶν τὰ περιέχοντα τὴν γῆν ἀφαιρεῖται τὴν τροφήν;
Is it because the sun, by consuming what surrounds the earth, deprives them of nourishment?
διὸ καὶ τὰ κατακεκλειμένα εὐτραφέστερά ἐστιν.
For this reason, those that are enclosed are also better nourished.
πάντων οὖν τούτων ἀπήλλακται τὰ θαλάττια ζῷα.
Therefore, marine animals are exempt from all of these things.
§10.56Διὰ τί ποτε τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ζῷα πλεονάκις τὴν ξηρὰν τροφὴν ἢ τὴν ὑγρὰν προσάγεται, ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος τὴν ὑγρὰν ἢ τὴν ξηράν;
Why on earth do other animals consume dry food more frequently than wet food, but man consumes wet food more than dry?
ἢ διότι φύσει ὁ ἄνθρωπος θερμότατον;
Is it because man is by nature extremely hot?
πλείστης οὖν καταψύξεως δεῖται.
Therefore, he stands in need of the greatest amount of cooling.
§10.57Διὰ τί οἱ εὐνοῦχοι οὐ γίνονται φαλακροί;
Why do eunuchs not become bald?
ἢ ὅτι πολὺν ἔχουσι τὸν ἐγκέφαλον;
Is it because they have a large quantity of brain?
τοῦτο δὲ συμβέβηκεν αὐτοῖς διὰ τὸ μὴ συγγίνεσθαι ταῖς γυναιξίν· ἡ γὰρ γονή ἐστιν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐγκεφάλου χωροῦσα διὰ τῆς ῥάχεως.
And this happens to them because they do not have intercourse with women; for the semen is that which proceeds from the brain through the spine.
διὰ τοῦτο δ’ οὖν δοκοῦσι καὶ οἱ βόες οἱ ἐκτομίαι μεγάλα τὰ κέρατα ἴσχειν, ὅταν ἐκτμηθῶσιν.
That is why castrated bulls also seem to get large horns when they are castrated.
δοκεῖ δὲ ἡ αὐτὴ αἰτία εἶναι καὶ ὅτι αἱ γυναῖκες καὶ οἱ παῖδες οὐκ εἰσὶ φαλακροί.
And it seems that the same cause is why women and children are not bald.
§10.58Διὰ τί τὰ μὲν εὐθὺς δύνανται δι’ αὑτῶν τρέφεσθαι μετὰ τὴν γένεσιν, τὰ δὲ οὔ;
Why is it that some animals can feed themselves immediately after birth, but others cannot?
ἢ ὅσα ὀλιγοχρονιώτερα τῶν μνήμης δεκτικῶν;
Is it because all those that are capable of self-feeding are shorter-lived than those receptive of memory?
διὸ ἅπαντα καὶ τελευτᾷ θᾶττον.
Therefore, they all also die sooner.
§10.59Διὰ τί ποτε ὁ μὲν ἄνθρωπος πλείω τὴν ὑποχώρησιν ποιεῖται τὴν ὑγρὰν τῆς ξηρᾶς, οἱ δὲ ἵπποι καὶ οἱ ὄνοι τὴν ξηράν;
Why on earth does man produce more wet evacuation than dry, while horses and asses produce more dry?
ἢ διότι ταῦτα μὲν τὰ ζῷα πλείονι τροφῇ χρῆται τῇ ξηρᾷ, ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος ὑγρᾷ μᾶλλον ἢ τῇ ξηρᾷ;
Is it because these animals use more dry food, while man uses wet food more than dry?
πᾶσα δὲ περίττωσις ἀπὸ τῆς τροφῆς ἐστὶν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς πλείονος πλείω.
And every residue is from food, and more comes from more food.
τὰ μὲν οὖν τῇ ὑγρᾷ μᾶλλον, τὰ δὲ τῇ ξηρᾷ πλείονι τροφῇ χρῆται· διότι τὰ μὲν τῶν ζῴων ἐστὶ φύσει ξηρά, τὰ δὲ ὑγρά.
Thus, some use more wet food, and others use more dry food; because some animals are dry by nature, and others are wet.
τὰ μὲν οὖν τῇ φύσει ξηρὰ τῆς ὑγρᾶς μᾶλλον ἐπιθυμεῖ (ταύτης γὰρ ἐνδεέστερά εἰσιν), τὰ δὲ φύσει ὑγρὰ τῆς ξηρᾶς· ταύτης γὰρ ἐνδεέστερα καθέστηκεν.
Therefore, those that are dry by nature desire wet food more (for they are more in need of this), and those that are wet by nature desire dry food; for they stand in need of this.
§10.60Διὰ τί ὄρνιθες καὶ ἄνθρωποι καὶ τῶν ζῴων τὰ ἀνδρεῖα σκληρότερα;
Why are birds, men, and the courageous among animals harder?
ἢ ὅτι ὁ θυμὸς μετὰ θερμότητος;
Is it because anger is accompanied by heat?
ὁ γὰρ φόβος κατάψυξις.
For fear is a cooling.
ὅσων οὖν τὸ αἷμα ἔνθερμόν ἐστιν, καὶ ἀνδρεῖα καὶ θυμοειδῆ· τὸ δὲ αἷμα τροφή.
Therefore, those whose blood is warm are both courageous and high-spirited; and blood is nourishment.
ὅσα δὲ θερμῷ ἄρδεται τῶν φυομένων σκληρότερα πάντα.
And of those things that grow, all that are irrigated with heat are harder.
§10.61Διὰ τί τέρατα τίκτουσιν μάλιστα τὰ τετράποδα τὰ μὴ μεγάλα, ἄνθρωπος δὲ καὶ τὰ μεγάλα ἧττον, οἷον ἵπποι καὶ ὄνοι;
Why do the smaller quadrupeds produce monsters most of all, while man and the large animals, such as horses and asses, do so less?
ἢ ὅτι πολύγονα ταῦτα, οἷον κύνες καὶ ὕες καὶ αἶγες καὶ πρόβατα, πολὺ μᾶλλον τῶν μεγάλων, ἐκείνων δὲ τὰ μὲν ὅλως μονοτόκα, τὰ δὲ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ.
Is it because the former, such as dogs, pigs, goats, and sheep, are much more prolific than the large ones, while of the latter, some produce only one young at a time, and others do so for the most part?
τὰ δὲ τέρατα γίνεται ἐπαλλαττόντων τῶν σπερμάτων ἀλλήλοις καὶ συγχεομένων ἐν τῇ ἐξόδῳ τῆς γονῆς ἢ ἐν τῇ μίξει τῇ ἐν τῇ ὑστέρᾳ τῆς θηλείας.
And monsters occur because the seeds overlap one another and are confused at the emission of the semen or in the mixing in the uterus of the female.
διὸ καὶ ὄρνιθες αὐτὰ ποιοῦσιν· τὰ γὰρ ᾠὰ δίδυμα τίκτουσι.
That is why birds also produce them; for they lay twin eggs.
τὰ δὲ τέρατα ἐκ τῶν διδύμων γίνεται, ὧν ἡ λέκιθος τῷ ὑμένι οὐ διαιρεῖται.
And monsters arise from twins whose yolk is not separated by the membrane.