Chap. 94.] THE HAIR. ETC 81 



the elephant makes bucklers that are quite impenetrable, and 

 yet to it is ascribed a degree of intelligence superior to that of 

 any quadruped. The skin itself is entirely devoid of sen- 

 sation, and more particularly that of the head ; wherever it 

 is found alone, and unaccompanied with flesh, if wounded, it 

 will not unite, as in the cheek and on the eyelid, ls for 

 instance. 



CHAP. 94. THE HAIR AND THE COVERING OF THE SKIN. 



Those animals which are viviparous, have hair ; those which 

 are oviparous, have feathers, scales, or a shell, like the tor- 

 toise ; or else a purple skin, like the serpent. The lower part 

 of all feathers is hollow ; if cut, they will not grow again, but if 

 pulled out, they will shoot afresh. Insects fly by the aid of a 

 frail membrane ; the wings of the fish 19 called the "swallow" are 

 moistened in the sea, while those of the bat which frequents 

 our houses are dry ; the wings of this last animal have certain 

 articulations as well. The hairs that issue from a thick skin 

 are rough, while those on females are of a finer quality. Those 

 found on the horse's mane are more abundant, which is the 

 case also with the shoulders of the lion. The dasypus lias 

 hair in the inside of the mouth even and under the feet/ two 

 features which Trogus has also attributed to the hare ; from 

 which the same author concludes that hairy men are the most 

 prone to lust. The most hairy of all animals is the hare. 

 Man is the only creature that has hair as the mark of puberty ; 

 and a person who is devoid of this, whether male or female, 

 is sure to be sterile. The hair of man is partly born with 

 him, and in part produced after his birth. The last kind of hair 

 will not grow upon eunuchs, though that which has been born 

 with them does not fall off; which is the case also with 

 women, in a great degree. Still however, there have been 

 women known to be afflicted with falling off of the hair, just 

 as some are to be seen with a fine down on the face, after the 

 cessation of the menstrual discharge. In some men the hair 

 that mostly shoots forth after birth will not grow spontane- 

 ously. The hair of quadrupeds comes off every year, and 



ls As already mentioned, this is not the fact. 

 19 See B. ix*. c. 43. 



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