IV. lO. 121 



either numerous and placed laterally on the belly, as in swine 

 and dogs, or are only two in number and placed in the centre 

 of the abdomen, as is the case in the lion." The explanation 

 of this latter condition is not that the lion produces few at a 

 birth, for sometimes it has more than two cubs at a time, but 

 is to be found in the fact that this animal has no plentiful 

 supply of milk. For, being a flesh-eater, it gets food at but 

 rare intervals, and such nourishment as it obtains is all expended 

 on the growth of its body. 



In the elephant also there are but^ two mammae, which are 



placed under the axillae of the fore limbs. The mammae are 



not more than two, because this animal has only a single young 



one at a birth ; and they are not placed in the groins, because 



they never occupy that position in any polydactylous animal 



such as this.^ Lastly they are placed above close to- the axillae, 



because this is the position of the foremost dugs in all animals 



whose dugs are numerous, and the dugs .so placed give the most 



milk. A proof of this is furnished by the sow. For she always 



presents these foremost dugs to the first-born of her litter. 



A single young one is of course a first-born ; and so such 



animals as only produce a single young one must have these 



anterior dugs to present to it ; that is they must have dugs 



close to the axillae. This, then, is the reason why the elephant 



has but two mammae, and why they are so placed. But, in 



such animals as have litters of young, the dugs are disposed 



about the belly ; the reason being that more dugs are required 



by those that have more young to nourish. Now as there 



are but two sides to the body, the right and the left, it is 



impossible that these dugs should be sfet transversely in* rows 



of more than two. They must therefore be placed lengthways, 



and the only place where there is sufficient length for this is 



the region between the ' front and hind legs. As to the animals 



that are not polydactylous but produce few at a birth, or have 



horns, their dugs are placed in the groins. The horse, the ass, 



the camel are examples ; all of which bear but a single young 



one at a time, and of which the two former have solid hoofs, 



while in the last the hoof is cloven. As still further examples, 



may be mentioned the ' deer, the ox, the gpat, and all other 



similar animals. 



The explanation is that in these animals growth takes place 

 688b. 



