412 ON GENERATION. 



in the generation of animals only proceed at a later period to 

 the construction of the soft and moist and fleshy parts, as re- 

 quiring but a short time for their concoction and formation, 

 whilst the hard parts, such as the bones, as requiring ample 

 evaporation and abundant drying, and their matter long re- 

 maining inconcoct, she proceeds to fashion almost from the 

 very beginning. " And the same thing obtains in the brain," 

 he adds, " which, large in quantity and exceedingly moist at 

 first, is by and by better concocted and condensed, so that the 

 brain as well as the eye diminishes in size. The head is there- 

 fore very large at first, in comparison with the rest of the body, 

 which it far surpasses because of the brain and the eyes, and 

 the large quantity of moisture contained in them. These parts, 

 nevertheless, are among the last to be perfected, for the brain 

 acquires consistence with difficulty, and it is long before it is 

 freed from cold and moisture in any animal, and especially in 

 man. The sinciput, too, is consolidated the last, the bones 

 here being quite soft when the infant sees the light." 



He gives another reason, viz. because the parts are formed 

 of different kinds of matter : " Every more excellent part, the 

 sharer in the highest principle is, farther, engendered from the 

 most highly concocted, the purest and first nutriment; the 

 other needful parts, produced for the sake of the former, from 

 the worse and excrementitious remainder. For nature, like the 

 sage head of a family, is wont to throw away nothing that may 

 be turned to any useful purpose. But he still regulates his 

 household so that the best food shall be given to his children, 

 the more indifferent to his menials, the worst to the animals. 

 As then, man's growth being complete and mind having been 

 superadded, (in other words, and, as I interpret the passage, adult 

 man having acquired sense and prudence,) things are ordered 

 in this way, so does nature at the period of production even 

 compose the flesh and the other more sensitive parts of the 

 purest matter. Of the excrementitious remainder she makes 

 the bones, sinews, hair, nails, and other parts of the same con- 

 stitution. And this is the reason why this is done last of all, 

 when nature has an abundant supply of recrementitious mate- 

 rial.-" Our author then goes on to speak of " a twofold order 

 of aliment :" " one for nutrition, another for growth ;" " the 

 nutritive is the one which supplies existence to the whole and 



