Organs of Nutrition 141 



way in which this part of the digestive tract is coiled and 

 twisted in the body cavity of the bird allows it to take 

 up the least possible amount of room. 



The function of this long tube is to absorb the nutri- 

 ment from the food after this has been moistened by 

 the salivary glands, crushed by the gizzard, and acted 

 on by the stomach acids, and secretions from the liver 

 and pancreas. The digestible parts are then taken up 

 by the blood through the walls of the intestine. In 

 many of the lower types of birds, such as the cassowary, 

 ostrich, and screamer, the arrangement of this long 

 digestive tract is very simple, much like the condition 

 to be found in alligators. 



