ARISTOTLE. 71 



form of a necklace. On the eggs of birds his obser- 

 vations are nearly as correct as those which we find 

 in books at the present day. He was acquainted 

 with their general structure, and the develop- 

 ment of the chick, which he minutely describes. 

 He remarks of the cuckoo, that it is not a changed 

 hawk, as some have asserted ; that, although cer- 

 tain persons have alleged that its young have never 

 been seen, it yet certainly has young ; that, how- 

 ever, it does not construct a nest, but deposites its 

 eggs in the nest of other birds, after eating those 

 w^hich it finds there. 



He remarks that the cartilaginous fishes are 

 viviparous, but that the other species bring forth 

 eggs, and states correctly that they have no alantoid 

 membrane. He then passes to the cetacea, with 

 which he seems to be nearly as well acquainted as 

 modern naturalists, and reverts to the oviparous 

 fishes, respecting which he presents numerous de- 

 tails. He maintains, however, that the eel is pro- 

 duced spontaneously, and that no person had ever 

 detected eggs or milt in it. 



Having discussed the subject of generation, he 

 proceeds, in the eighth book, to treat of the food 

 and actions of animals, their migrations, and other 

 circumstances. The ninth consists of a multitude 

 of topics without any direct relation to each other, 

 but apparently treated as they had successively 

 presented themselves to the author. Thus, at the 

 commencement we find remarks on the peculiarities 

 of disposition observed in the males and females of 

 different animals, the combats of hostile species, the 

 actions of animals, nidification, generation, and 

 other matters. Several species of different classes 



