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. The explanation of this latter
condition is not that the lion produces few at a birth, for
sometimes it has more than two cubs at a time, but is to be found in
the fact that this animal has no plentiful supply of milk. For,
being a flesheater, it gets food at but rare intervals, and such
nourishment as it obtains is all expended on the growth of its body.
In the elephant also there are but two mammae, which are placed
under the axillae of the fore limbs. The mammae are not more than two,
because this animal has only a single young one at a birth; and they
are not placed in the region of the thighs, because they never
occupy that position in any polydactylous animal such as this. Lastly,
they are placed above, close to the axillae, because this is the
position of the foremost dugs in all animals whose dugs are
numerous, and the dugs so placed give the most milk. Evidence of
this is furnished by the sow. For she always presents these foremost
dugs to the first-born of her litter. A single young one is of
course a first-born, and so such animals as only produce a single
young one must have these anterior dugs to present to it; that is they
must have the dugs which are under the axillae. This, then, is the
reason why the elephant has but two mammae, and why they are so
placed. But, in such animals as have litters of young, the dugs are
disposed about the belly; the reason being that more dugs are required
by those that will have more young to nourish
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