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ἐχίδνας. H. carefully distinguishes ‘vipers’ from other snakes (109. 3).

προνοίη. Xenophanes had taught there was a divine power ruling the universe νόου φρενί (R. and P., ed. 1888, 89 b). In Anaxagoras this intelligence tended to be divorced from divinity; in H. it develops into a belief in a divine providence that is kind. The early use of the argument from Final Causes is very curious.


ἐπικυΐσκεται: the ‘superfoetation’ of the hare is recorded by Aristotle (De Gen. An. iv. 5. 773 a), though with fewer details than by H. Platt (Oxf. Tr. p. 190) quotes Sundevall, ‘it is not so much the rule as the author thinks, but still it does occur.’ There are four stages of the young: ‘with fur,’ ‘bare,’ ‘just formed,’ ‘just conceived.’


λέαινα. Aristotle without naming H. (Hist. An. vi. 31. 579 a 2) rightly styles this story as to the lioness ληρώδης; it was invented, he says, to account for the scarcity of lions. The lioness breeds once a year, and has usually three cubs. H. fails to explain how under his system the race of lions survives at all.

ἐσικνέεται καταγράφων, translate ‘he penetrates scratching it down’.

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