PARTS OF ANIMALS 



unhealthy άπόκρισις (abscession) — a very common 

 term in Ilepl διαίτης (see chh. 58 foil, throughout). 

 It occurs twice in De partibus. In both places it is 

 used of a ττΐρίττωμα. At 690 a 9 the surplus earthy 

 matter απ-όκρισιν λάμβανα, and forms a continuous 

 nail or hoof. At 681 b 35 Aristotle speaks of the 



place where the σ-ερμυ-ική or the ττΐρίττωματικη 



άττόκρισίς is effected ; and here ά-όκρισ-ι? seems to 

 mean simply " act of excretion." The meaning of 

 the term seems both here and in Hippocrates to be 

 specially associated with τηριττωματα., either useful 

 ones, or useless and even harmful ones. A great 

 deal of Περί ύιαίτιμ is taken up with suggestions for 

 getting rid of harmful άττοκρίσίΐς. 



The meaning of αττόκρισι? is therefore wider than 

 " excretion " or " secretion," as used in their present 

 usual sense, though these are included among its 

 meaning's• 



T6 μάλλον και ήττον, " the more and less," see 

 above, p. I9, and Gen. An. (Loeb), Introd. §§ 70 if. 



Translations of Aristotle's Zoology 



The history of the translation of Aristotle's works Transla- 

 begins with the Nestorian Christians of Asia Minor, AristoUe's 

 who were familiar Avith the Greek language as their zoological 

 service-books were wTitten in it, and Ijcfore the 

 coming of the Arabs they had translated some of the 

 works of Aristotle and Galen into Syriac. Before 



39 



