History of Monsters. 517

III. Gemma's Hermaphrodite

Also distinct from those we have just mentioned is the hermaphrodite described by the same Gemma in his *De Cosmocritica*. This individual was born in Saxony in the year 1530. As is clear from this figure, a certain protruding piece of flesh hung from its chest,

taking the shape of a heart. Gemma describes this case in nearly these very words, or at least with some ambiguity in his phrasing. Indeed, if his intent is considered more openly, his language seems to refer more generally to monsters; however, it is clear from his subsequent words that this was also a hermaphrodite. Gemma maintains that this hermaphrodite consisted of two fused bodies in which the parts necessary for sustaining life were reduced to a single set, as is shown in this illustration.

The height of the body was one ell and one foot. Likewise, in the last few years, quite many and varied offspring have been born in Italy and Germany in which a wondrous play of nature was revealed.