But, by the way this absence of
breasts may predicated of all non-viviparous animals; and in point
of fact viviparous animals are not in all cases provided with the
organ, excepting such as are directly viviparous without being first
oviparous. Thus the dolphin is directly viviparous, and accordingly we
find it furnished with two breasts, not situated high up, but in the
neighbourhood of the genitals. And this creature is not provided, like
quadrupeds, with visible teats, but has two vents, one on each
flank, from which the milk flows; and its young have to follow after
it to get suckled, and this phenomenon has been actually witnessed.
Fishes, then, as has been observed, have no breasts and no
passage for the genitals visible externally. But they have an
exceptional organ in the gills, whereby, after taking the water in the
mouth, they discharge it again; and in the fins, of which the
greater part have four, and the lanky ones two, as, for instance,
the eel, and these two situated near to the gills. In like manner
the grey mullet-as, for instance, the mullet found in the lake at
Siphae-have only two fins; and the same is the case with the fish
called Ribbon-fish.
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