GENERATION" OF ANIMALS, III. i. 



in others, and, in some just enough to serve as an 

 indication." Similarly, there is no discharge in fishes, 

 any more than in birds : and therefore in fishes too, 

 [just as in birds,] fetations arise \\-ithout previous 

 copulation, though they are less obvious ; that is 

 because their nature is colder. What corresponds 

 to the secretion of the menstrual fluid which occurs 

 in viviparous animals arises in birds at the times 

 proper for that residue, and as the region by the 

 diaphragm is hot these fetations reach perfection in 

 respect of size, though for the purpose of generation 

 they are imperfect, both in birds and fishes, \\"ithout 

 the semen of the male. The cause of these things 

 has been given earher. Wind-eggs are not formed 

 in the birds that are fliers ; the reason why this is 

 so and why birds of this sort are not very prolific 

 layers is one and the same * : in the crook-taloned 

 birds the residue is scanty, and they need the male 

 to give the impulse for the discharge of the residue. 

 The wind-eggs are formed in larger numbers than 

 the ones which are fertile but they are smaller in 

 size ; both facts are due to one and the same cause : 

 they are smaller in size because they are imperfect, 

 and they are more in number because their size is 

 smaller. They are less pleasant to eat because they 

 are more unconcocted, for that which has been con- 

 cocted ' always makes the more tasty morsel. 



Now it has been sufficiently established by ob- 



phenomenoti. A similar remark is made at P. A. 689 b 5 

 about the stiimpy tail of certain animals. 



* Piatt's assumption of a lacuna here is unnecessary. 

 Although TmjTiKo. and ya^jmjjuiwxo. are not simply convertible, 

 all yaixijicji'vxa are TTTrp-iKa, and clearly Aristotle is here think- 

 ing of them as especially good examples of tliers. 



' The Greek word also connotes " matured," " ripened." 



273 



