History of Monsters. 711
In this species, two twin apples grew from an abundance of matter; although they were not joined throughout, they were fused near the stem. We also observed two "Epirotic" (or rose) apples fused together; while doubled, they appeared to be a single fruit. They were twins by virtue of the two visible stems from which they hung—remains of the flowers from which the fruit develops—as shown in Figure 26.
Also presented here for inspection is a monstrous "Paradise apple" given to the renowned Ulisse Aldrovandi in November 1593. It was presented by the Most Illustrious Camillo Paleotti, a Senator of Bologna and brother of His Eminence Cardinal Paleotti (the first Archbishop of Bologna), and grandfather of the current Senator Camillo Paleotti. Camillo was a most diligent investigator of natural history. This fruit was of the variety commonly known as a Paradise apple because of its exceptionally sweet fragrance. However, near the stem of the fruit, an appendage had grown of the same substance and color as the fruit itself, resembling a bird’s beak or a finger with a small nail. To speak plainly, it appeared to represent the phallus and scrotum of a dog more than anything else. At the tip of this growth, a sharp, black point could be seen, which was more apparent when the appendage was turned downward, as the reader may observe in the illustration.
Since we have come to the subject of Paradise apples—which are so named as if sent from heaven due to their delightful aroma and pleasant taste—it is worth describing another monster of this kind observed by the aforementioned Camillo Paleotti in 1594.