GENERATION OF ANIMALS, III. xi. 



side of the original one. The whelks and purpuras 

 and those which, as the phrase goes, are " honey- 

 combers "" emit quantities of slimy fluid emanating 

 as it were from some seminal substance. (We must 

 not, however, consider any of these substances as 

 being semen proper ; instead, we should regard them 

 as sharing in the resemblance to plants in the way 

 already mentioned. And that is why a large number 

 of such creatures is produced when once one has been 

 produced, since, as all these creatures are in fact pro- 

 duced spontaneously as well, pro rata more of them 

 arise if there are actually some * present to start 

 with.) After all, it is reasonable to suppose that 

 there is a surplus portion of residue close by each of 

 the original stock, from which each of the sideshoots 

 springs up. And since the residue is a substance 

 possessing one and the same character as the nourish- 

 ment of which it is the residue, it is probable that 

 the stuff produced by the " honeycombers " is similar 

 to the substance out of which they were originally 

 constituted ; hence it is reasonable to suppose that 

 it too " gives rise to young ones. 



All which neither produce sideshoots nor make (6) Spon- 

 " honeycombs " reproduce by spontaneous genera- '^nerafjon 

 tion ; and all which arise in this manner whether on 

 land or in the water come to be formed, as can be 

 seen, to the accompaniment of putrefaction and ad- 

 mixture of rainwater : as the sweet ingredients are 

 separated off into the principle which is taking form, 

 that which remains over assumes a putrefying aspect."* 

 Nothing, however, is formed by a process of putrefac- 

 tion, but by a process of concoction : the putrefaction 



* i.e., as well as residues such as semen. 

 ** i.e., putrefies, 



355 



