ON THE

MOTION OF ANIMALS

BY JOH. ALPHONSI BORELLI.

PROLOGUE.

A decorative ornamental drop cap letter 'A' is shown with floral and foliate designs.

I approach the arduous Physiology of the Motions of Animals, which, although it has been attempted by many of the ancients and moderns, no one, as far as I know, has touched upon, or even scented, the innumerable problems—illustrious and pleasant to know—that can be proposed and disputed in it, nor has anyone been able, or cared, to confirm them with Mechanical demonstrations.

Therefore, I have undertaken this work for myself, so that this part of Physics, adorned and enriched with Mathematical demonstrations, might be reckoned among the Physico-Mathematical parts no less than Astronomy; but if my efforts have not been entirely in vain, at least others who are more sagacious and learned, with me as a stimulus, will be able to perfect and enrich this Science with firmer reasoning and a better Method.

Now, to suggest something about the work and its partition, after the Books on the force of percussion and on Natural Motions depending on gravity, which have already been published and which ought to have been prefixed, follows the principal work on the Motions of Animals, adducing the causes and modes by which the aforesaid motions can occur, showing the degrees and proportions of the moving faculties, the mechanical organs by which those motions are performed, and the contrivances and reasons for which they were ordered by the most wise nature.

The treatise will then be divided into two parts: In the first, we will discuss at length the conspicuous motions of Animals, namely, the flexions and extensions of the external parts and limbs, and finally concerning walking, flying, swimming, and their annexes.