170 Miscellaneous Intelligence, 



in the paunch ; returned to the mouth many times during rumina- 

 tion, it finally forms a paste, which passes directly from the 

 oesophagus to the third stomach, by means of a groove, proceeding 

 from the cardiac aperture of the paunch to the upper orifice of the 

 third stomach. 



The contents of the first and second divisions are similar to each 

 otlier : the triturated mass which they contain is sensibly alkaline, 

 probably because of the unsaturated soda of the saliva, and of the 

 secretions of the two first stomachs. These were pressed together, 

 and furnished a liquid and a hard residue. The liquid, boiled to se- 

 parate the albumen, was then very carefully evaporated to dry- 

 ness. The extract being put into warm water, left an insoluble 

 portion of coagulated albumen, and by filtration a liquid was ob- 

 tained, which, when evaporated, had on its surface a pellicle 

 formed, which dissolved when stirred as jelly would have done. 

 When cold the solution gelatinized, and upon being dried, left a 

 bro"\Aii substance, having a vitreous fracture, and slightly transpa- 

 rent. This substance had many characters of gelatine ; it was 

 insoluble in alcohol and ether, soluble in cold water, more soluble 

 in hot water. Mineral acids or corrosive sublimate did not pre- 

 cipitate it when cold, but boiled with the latter, flocculi formed, in- 

 soluble, and the liquid lost its power of gelatinizing. The portion 

 of residuum insoluble in water was coagulated albumen, containing 

 a little mucus, which could be separated by acidulated water, and 

 then obtained by evaporation. These experiments with others lead 

 MM. Prevost and Royer to conclude that the nourishing parts 

 of the alimentary matter are, 1. Albumen of the vegetables ex- 

 tracted and retained in solution by the alkaline fluids proper to the 

 animal ; and 2. Jelly, of which the properties have been men- 

 tioned, containing a certain quantity of mucus. The following 

 result will give a general idea of the quantities concerned. 



Alimentary portion of the two first stomachs 5.231 kil. 



Liquid obtained by expression . . 2.753 



Residue of the expression . . . 2.478 

 There was obtained from the liquid, 



Dried jelly . . . 16.78 grammes. 



Dried albumen and mucus . . 27.52 

 And from the residue of the expression. 



Dried jelly . . . 8.10 



Dried albumen and mucus • . . 4.82 



The albumen and jelly had been washed with alcohol, to free 

 them from chlorophyle and salts. 



The third stomach has its cavity filled by numerous folds of the 

 mamellated membrane : these are thin, large, and placed one 

 against another like the leaves of a book. These strongly com- 

 press the food; the liquid it contains is separated, and runs into 



