Those animals which are viviparous, have hair; those which
are oviparous, have feathers, scales, or a shell, like the tortoise; or else a purple skin, like the serpent. The lower part
of all feathers is hollow; if cut, they will not grow again, but if
pulled out, they will shoot afresh. Insects fly by the aid of a
frail membrane; the wings of the fish[1] called the "swallow" are
moistened in the sea, while those of the bat which frequents
our houses are dry; the wings of this last animal have certain
articulations as well. The hairs that issue from a thick skin
are rough, while those on females are of a finer quality. Those
found on the horse's mane are more abundant, which is the
case also with the shoulders of the lion. The dasypus has
hair in the inside of the mouth even and under the feet, two
features which Trogus has also attributed to the hare; from
which the same author concludes that hairy men are the most
prone to lust. The most hairy of all animals is the hare.
Man is the only creature that has hair as the mark of puberty;
and a person who is devoid of this, whether male or female,
is sure to be sterile. The hair of man is partly born with
him, and in part produced after his birth. The last kind of hair
will not grow upon eunuchs, though that which has been born
with them does not fall off; which is the case also with
women, in a great degree. Still however, there have been
women known to be afflicted with falling off of the hair, just
as some are to be seen with a fine down on the face, after the
cessation of the menstrual discharge. In some men the hair
that mostly shoots forth after birth will not grow spontaneously. The hair of quadrupeds comes off every year, and
1.