Key Arguments

• He describes the spring aggregation and deposition behavior: "The porphyrae, or purple murices, gather together to some one place in the spring-time, and deposit the so-called ‘honeycomb’."
• He insists that porphyra do not develop out of these honeycombs: "none of these structures has any open passage, and the porphyra does not grow out of them,"
• He identifies the honeycomb as an excretion of porphyra and ceryx: "The substance, is, in fact, an excretion of the porphyra and the ceryx; for it is deposited by the ceryx as well."
• He claims these species are spontaneously generated like other testaceans, but in greater numbers near prior populations: "Such, then, of the testaceans as deposit the honeycomb are generated spontaneously like all other testaceans, but they certainly come in greater abundance in places where their congeners have been living previously."
• He explains that the honeycomb begins as a mucus excretion which forms husk‑like bodies that later melt and leave young porphyrae: "At the commencement of the process of depositing the honeycomb, they throw off a slippery mucus, and of this the husklike formations are composed. These formations, then, all melt and deposit their contents on the ground, and at this spot there are found on the ground a number of minute porphyrae,"
• He notes that adult porphyrae are sometimes captured with tiny animalcules on them, too small to be distinguished in form, reinforcing his account of early developmental stages: "and porphyrae are caught at times with these animalculae upon them, some of which are too small to be differentiated in form."

Source Quotes

The testacean is almost the only genus that throughout all its species is non-copulative. The porphyrae, or purple murices, gather together to some one place in the spring-time, and deposit the so-called ‘honeycomb’. This substance resembles the comb, only that it is not so neat and delicate; and looks as though a number of husks of white chick-peas were all stuck together.

This substance resembles the comb, only that it is not so neat and delicate; and looks as though a number of husks of white chick-peas were all stuck together. But none of these structures has any open passage, and the porphyra does not grow out of them, but these and all other testaceans grow out of mud and decaying matter. The substance, is, in fact, an excretion of the porphyra and the ceryx; for it is deposited by the ceryx as well.

But none of these structures has any open passage, and the porphyra does not grow out of them, but these and all other testaceans grow out of mud and decaying matter. The substance, is, in fact, an excretion of the porphyra and the ceryx; for it is deposited by the ceryx as well. Such, then, of the testaceans as deposit the honeycomb are generated spontaneously like all other testaceans, but they certainly come in greater abundance in places where their congeners have been living previously.

The substance, is, in fact, an excretion of the porphyra and the ceryx; for it is deposited by the ceryx as well. Such, then, of the testaceans as deposit the honeycomb are generated spontaneously like all other testaceans, but they certainly come in greater abundance in places where their congeners have been living previously. At the commencement of the process of depositing the honeycomb, they throw off a slippery mucus, and of this the husklike formations are composed.

At the commencement of the process of depositing the honeycomb, they throw off a slippery mucus, and of this the husklike formations are composed. These formations, then, all melt and deposit their contents on the ground, and at this spot there are found on the ground a number of minute porphyrae, and porphyrae are caught at times with these animalculae upon them, some of which are too small to be differentiated in form. If the porphyrae are caught before producing this honey-comb, they sometimes go through the process in fishing-creels, not here and there in the baskets, but gathering to some one spot all together, just as they do in the sea; and owing to the narrowness of their new quarters they cluster together like a bunch of grapes.

Key Concepts

• The porphyrae, or purple murices, gather together to some one place in the spring-time, and deposit the so-called ‘honeycomb’.
• none of these structures has any open passage, and the porphyra does not grow out of them, but these and all other testaceans grow out of mud and decaying matter.
• The substance, is, in fact, an excretion of the porphyra and the ceryx; for it is deposited by the ceryx as well.
• Such, then, of the testaceans as deposit the honeycomb are generated spontaneously like all other testaceans, but they certainly come in greater abundance in places where their congeners have been living previously.
• These formations, then, all melt and deposit their contents on the ground, and at this spot there are found on the ground a number of minute porphyrae, and porphyrae are caught at times with these animalculae upon them, some of which are too small to be differentiated in form.

Context

Early in Book V, chapter 15: in applying his spontaneous generation theory to particular testaceans, Aristotle gives a detailed account of porphyra and ceryx honeycomb deposition, its nature as excretion, and the appearance of tiny young.