66 ARISTOTLE. 



teeth ; nor is there any having jagged teeth that 

 has either horns or projecting teeth. The greater 

 part have the front teeth sharp, and those behind 

 broad ; but the seal has them all jagged, for it par- 

 takes of the nature of fishes, which have that pecu- 

 liarity. His remarks on the shedding of the teeth 

 are in general erroneous. The elephant, he says, 

 has four grinders, together with two others, the 

 latter of which are of great size and bent upwards 

 in the male, but small and directed the contrary way 

 in the female. This circumstance Cuvier states to 

 be correct with respect to the African variety, al- 

 though the case is different in the Asiatic. His ac- 

 count of the hippopotamus, however, is inaccurate 

 in almost every particular. Thus, he says it has a 

 mane like a horse, cloven feet like an ox, and is of 

 the size of an ass, — a description which answers bet- 

 ter to the gnu. In speaking of monkeys, of which 

 he mentions several kinds, he remarks their resem- 

 blance to the human species, and the peculiar forma- 

 tion of their hind feet, which may be used as hands. 



He then gives a general account of the oviparous 

 quadrupeds, particularly of the Egyptian crocodile 

 and the chameleon, concerning which he relates 

 many interesting circumstances. 



In treating of birds, he remarks that they are 

 bipedal, like man, destitute of anterior limbs, but 

 furnished with wings, and having a peculiar forma- 

 tion in the legs. Those birds which have hooked 

 claws, he says, have the breast more robust than 

 others. He then describes the differences in the 

 structure of their feet ; remarking, that most of them 

 have three toes before and one behind, although a 

 few, as the wryneck, have two only before. Birds, 



