755 b 



ARISTOTLE 



V "On 8' woTOKOvcn /cat ovtol^ ol IxOveg, arjiielov 



TO Kal TOVS ^a)OTOKOVVTag TU>V l^dvOiV, olov TO. 



aeXayrj, choroKelv iv avrots Trpcorov. SrjXov yap 



OTL TO yivOS oXoV eOTLV (hoTOKOV TO TOJV l-)(dvojv. 



5 TeXog ixevTOL ovOkv Xafi^dvei tcov tolovtojv wcov, 

 oacvv eoTi to fjiev drjXv to S' appev Kal yiyvovTai i^ 

 ox^las, eav fxr] eTnppdvr) 6 dpp-qv tov dopov. elal 

 Se TLVes OL <f)aai Travra? elvai Tovg l^Qva?^ O-qXeig 

 e^o) TCOV acXa^aJv, ovk opdotg XeyovTe?. o'iovTai 

 yap Sta(f)ep€LV tcjv vopLLt^op-ivajv dppevcov tovs 



10 d'qXcts avTOJV coairep tCjv <^VTGiv iv octois" to p.kv 

 Kap7TO(f)op€L TO 8' d-KapTTOv CGTiv, olov iXaCa Kal 

 KOTLVO? Kal avKTJ Kal ipiveos' o/xotojs" Se /cat tovs 

 Ixdug ttXtjv tcov aeXa)(dJv tovtol? yap ovk a^^tcr- 

 ^7]Tovcnv. KaLTOL (oaavTcos re StaKetrrat ol dp- 

 peve? TTepL ra dopiKa ol t€ aeXaxcoSei? Kal ol ev 



15 TW y€V€L Tcp TCx)V (poTOKCov, Kal aTTcpfia /caret Tr]v 



^ Kal ovroi om. Z. ^ sic SYZ : tx6vi vulg. 



" The argument seems to be this. Aristotle is arguing 

 from the principle that the production of eggs, if a charac- 

 teristic of any fishes, must be a characteristic of the whole 

 tribe of fishes (cf. his enunciation of a similar principle below, 

 755 b 36 : it would be fantastic, he says, if the distinction of 

 sexes were found in some fishes and not throughout the 

 whole tribe of them, just as it is found throughout the whole 

 tribe of Vivipara. Cf. also 759 b 14. and 34). Nobody, 

 however, disputes that the Selachia, which are fishes, are 

 oviparous (internally), nor that they have the distinction of 

 sexes. Hence, ex hypothesi, the whole tribe of fishes is ovi- 

 parous (though of course the eggs are " imperfect " ones), 

 and has the sexes distinct. Thus the argument will be 

 against those who hold that fish produce not eggs but larvae 

 (see 757 a 29 If.), and do not have the sexes distinct. No 



306 



