338 ON GENERATION. 



In all there is the same transmutation or generation from the 

 same to the same ; as concerns a part, this is performed by the 

 process of nutrition and augmentation, but as regards the 

 whole, by simple generation ; in other respects the same pro- 

 cesses occur equally. For from the same source from which 

 the material first takes its existence, from that source also does 

 it gain nutriment and increase. Moreover, from what we shall 

 presently say, it will be made clear that all the parts of the 

 body are nourished by a common nutritious juice ; for, as all 

 plants arise from one and the same common nutriment, (whe- 

 ther it be dew or a moisture from the earth,) altered and con- 

 cocted in a diversity of manners, by which they are also nourished 

 and grow ', so likewise to identical fluids of the egg, namely, 

 the albumen and the yelk, do the whole chick and each of 

 its parts owe their birth and growth. 



We will explain, also, what are the animals whose generation 

 takes place by metamorphosis, and of what kind is the pre- 

 existent material of insects which take their origin from a worm 

 or a caterpillar ; a material from which, by transmutation alone, 

 all their parts are simultaneously constituted and embodied, 

 and a perfect animal is born ; likewise, to what animals any 

 constant order in the successive generation of their parts 

 attaches, as is the case with such as are at first born in an 

 imperfect condition, and afterwards grow to maturity and per- 

 fection ; and this happens to all those that are born from an 

 egg. As in these the processes of growth and formation are 

 carried on at the same time, and a separation and distinction 

 of parts takes place in a regularly observed order, so in their 

 case is there no immediate pre-existing material present, for 

 the incorporation of the foetus, (such as the mixture of the 

 semina of the male and female is generally thought to be, or 

 the menstrual blood, or some very small portion of the egg,) 

 but as soon as ever the material is created and prepared, 

 so soon are growth and form commenced; the nutriment 

 is immediately accompanied by the presence of that which 

 it has to feed. And this kind of generation is the result 

 of epigenesis as the man proceeds from the boy; the edifice 

 of the body, to wit, is raised on the punctum saliens as a founda- 

 tion; as a ship is made from a keel, and as a potter makes a 

 vessel, as the carpenter forms a footstool out of a piece of 



