PARTS OF ANIMALS, II. iv. 



ness and clarity, neither of which characteristics 

 belongs to the earthy substance ; and an animal 

 which has the thinner and clearer sort of fluid in it 

 has also a more mobile faculty of sensation. This 

 is why, as I said before," some of the bloodless 

 creatures have a more intelligent Soul than some 

 of the blooded ones ; e.g. the bee and the ants 

 and such insects. Those, however, that have ex- 

 cessively watery blood are somewhat timorous. 

 This is because water is congealed by cold ; and 

 coldness also accompanies fear ; therefore in those 

 creatures whose heart contains a predominantly 

 watery blend, the way is already prepared for 

 a timorous disposition.^ This, too, is why, gener- 

 ally speaking, the bloodless creatures are more 

 timorous than the blooded ones and why they 

 stand motionless when they are frightened and 

 discharge their residues and (in some cases) change 

 their colour. On the other side, there are the 

 animals that have specially plentiful and thick 

 fibres in their blood ; these are of an earthier 

 nature, and are of a passionate temperament and 

 liable to outbursts of passion. Passion produces heat ; 

 and solids, when they have been heated, give off 

 more heat than fluids. So the fibres, which are solid 

 and earthy, become as it were embers inside the 

 blood and cause it to boil up when the fits of passion 

 come on. That is why bulls and boars are so liable 

 to these fits of passion. Their blood is very fibrous ; 

 indeed, that of the bull is the quickest of all to congeal. 

 But just as when the earthy matter is taken out 

 of mud, the water which remains does not congeal ; 

 so when the fibres, which consist of earth, are taken 

 out of the blood, it no longer congeals. If they are 



139 



