Notes, iv. II — 12. 243 



toad, which A. induded in the same group. In the Chelonia and the crocodiles these scales 

 are combined with bony scutes, and these animals are therefore known as Loricata. 

 But nothing of the kind occurs in the large serpents, none of which were actually known 

 to Aristotle (ii. 9, Note 7), but of which he had probably heard fabulous accounts from 

 some of Alexander's companions ; from Nearchus, for instance, whose statement as to 

 the existence of monstrous serpents in the East is quoted by Arrian in his Indica. 



15. Most reptiles have an upper eyelid, though they use the lower lid exclusively or 

 preferentially (cf. ii. 13, Note 2). In Ophidia, however, and some Lacertilia, there are 

 no lids at all, or rather the two lids are transparent and continuous with each other in 

 front of the eye ; a condition of things which A. supposed (ii. 13, 10) to exist in Crustacea. 



16. Cf. ii. 13, Note 5. 



17. This is an error (cf. ii. 13, Note 2). 



18. And therefore, he implies, do not require so much protection. 



19. The Camivora are an exception, their teeth being adapted for cutting and not for 

 grinding. This exception, though not mentioned here, is recognised presently, when it 

 is said that lateral motion goes with grinding teeth only, and therefore not with the 

 serrated dentition of Camivora. 



20. This was the common belief of the ancients (cf. Herodotus, ii. 68). Cuvier thus 

 accounts for the error: "Les machoires inferieures se prolongeant derriere le crane, il 

 semble que la superieure soit mobile, et les anciens Tont ecrit ainsi ; mais il ne se meut 

 qu'avec la tete toute entiere" {Reg. An. \\. 18). 



21. I suppose A. means that when an animal takes its prey in the water it must 

 generally do so with its mouth, because the anterior limbs are occupied in the act of 

 swimming. 



22. Cf. iii. 3, Note 3. 



23. The vertebras of Ophidia are not cartilaginous but osseous. The great flexibility of 

 the spine is due to its division into excessively numerous segments, and to the existence 

 of a perfect ball and socket joint between each of these and that which precedes and 

 follows it. 



21. " Internally viviparous " is equivalent to Mammalia, whose ovum was unknown to 

 Aristotle ; it excludes ovoviparous animals, which A. called " externally viviparous but 

 internally oviparous." Cf. iv. i. Note 5. 



25. Cf. D. G. iii. 2, 9. 



26. Cf. iv. 10, Note 43. 



27. There is an admirable account of the chamseleon in the Hist. An. (ii. 11), and in it 

 occurs a passage of great interest, as showing that A. made vivisections. The chamseleon, 

 though found in Spain, is not found in Greece. It is, however, easy of transport alive ; 

 and may have come into A.'s hands either from Africa or Asia Minor. It is, I believe, 

 the only foreign animal, concerning which there is satisfactory evidence that it was 

 seen alive by Aristotle (cf. Introd. p. xiii) . 



28. Alluding of course to the well-known changes of colour which occur in this animal 

 (cf. Owen, Verteb. i. 556), and which are apparently determined not only by variations in 

 the temperature, the amount of light, and the tints of surrounding objects, but also by 

 emotions, as fear, anger, and the like. 



29. Cf. ii. 4, Note 4. 



(Ch. 12.) 1. The main characters noted by A. as belonging to birds are as follows. 

 They are sanguineous ovipara, resembling reptiles (iv. 11, Note 3) in having the sexes 

 separate ; in having a perfect ovum, and an embryo with two umbilical appendages ; a 

 lung so deeply divided as to appear double, of bladderhke character, poor in blood, 



