546 
plit^t's natural history. 
[Book X. 
it becGmes fine. This animal is so intensely cold as to extin- 
guish fire by its contact, in the same way as ice does. It spits 
forth a milky matter from its month ; and whatever part of 
the human body is touched with this, all the hair falls off', and 
the part assumes the appearance of leprosy. 
CHIP. 87. (68.) Al^^IMALS WHICH ARE EORH" OF BEINGS THAT 
HAVE NOT BEEN BORN THEMSELVES ANIMALS WHICH ARE BORN 
THEMSELVES BUT ARE NOT REPRODUCTIVE ANIMALS WHICH 
ARE OF NEITHER SEX. 
Some animals, again, are engendered of beings that are not 
engendered themselves, and have no such origin as those above 
mentioned, which are produced in the spring, or at some stated 
period of the year. Some of these are non-productive, the sa- 
lamander, for instance, which is of no sex, either male or fe- 
male ; a distinction also, which does not exist in the eel and 
the other kinds that are neither viviparous nor oviparous. The 
oyster also, as well as the other sh^U-fish that adhere to the 
bottom of the sea or to rocks, are of neither sex. Again, as to 
those animals which are able to engender of themselves, if they 
are looked upon as divided into male and female, they do en- 
gender something, it is true, by coupling, but the produce is im- 
perfect, quite dissimilar to the animal itself, and one from which 
nothing else is reproduced; this we find to be the case with 
files, when they give birth to maggots. This fact is better illus- 
trated by the nature of those animals which are known as in- 
sects : a subject, indeed, very difficult of explanation, and one 
which requires to be treated of in a Eook^^ by itself. We will, 
therefore, proceed for the present with our remarks upon the 
instincts of the animals that have been previously mentioned. 
CHAP. 88. (69.)^ THE SENSES OF ANIMALS THAT ALL HAVE THE 
SENSES OF TOUCH AND TASTE THOSE WHICH ARE MORE REMARK- 
ABLE FOR THEIR SIGHT, SMELL, OR HEARING MOLES WHETHER 
OYSTERS HAVE THE SENSE OF HEARING. 
Man excels more especially in his sense of touch, and next, 
in that of taste. In other respects, he is surpassed by many 
of the animals. Eagles can see more clearly than any other 
animals, while vultures have the better smell ; moles hear more 
See the following Book. 
