Thus in
such animals as produce but few at a birth, whether horned
quadrupeds or those with solid hoofs, the mammae are placed in the
region of the thighs, and are two in number, while in such as
produce litters, or such as are polydactylous, the dugs are either
numerous and placed laterally on the belly, as in swine and dogs, or
are only two in number, being set, however, in the centre of the
abdomen, as is the case in the lion. 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.
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