GENERATION OF ANIMALS 



tain is a sufficient amount to transmit the " move- 

 ments " to the female's residue, and once this has 

 been done — that is to say, once the embryo or rather 

 its heart has been " constituted," once, it has been 

 given its " principle " and has the power to grow — 

 then the " body " of the semen can " evaporate," for 

 the Matter which provides the embryo with its 

 wherewithal for grotvth is of course supplied by the 

 female parent. 



As a final word on the subject we may recall that, 

 in addition to what we have already found Aristotle 

 saying about the identity of Matter and Form in the 

 long run, he finds no greater difficulty in identifying - 

 (^iVis with Matter than he does in identifying it mth 

 Form or with the Motive Cause and the Final Cause 

 (see Introd. § 14', end) ; and when all the attributes 

 have been ascribed to Matter which Aristotle ascribes 

 to it in spontaneous generation (see App. B § 17, 

 additional note), there is very little more left for it 

 to desire. 



I have not thought it necessary to call attention to scope of 

 all Aristotle's mistakes, partly because of lack of '^'"^ *^''^'°°- 

 space, but chiefly because it would serve no really 

 useful purpose. Nor have I given an account of 

 modern embryological theory. My main object has 

 been to ensure that the reader shall be able to find 

 out what Aristotle said, and to secure that Aristotle 

 shall get neither credit nor discredit for things which 

 he did not say. In a treatise such as G.A., this means 

 that fairly copious footnotes are necessary," and as a 

 further help to the reader I have provided not only 

 a full account of Aristotle's technical terms (which 

 gives an opportunity for explaining a good deal of the 



" See also p. xxxiv. 



b XV 



