XIV. THE DEER 



There is no more perfect picture of contentment than a 

 cow lying in the high grass on a warm day " chewing her 

 cud." As we watch her, she chews and chews, finally 

 swallowing. Then with a convulsive movement some- 

 thing comes up into the throat, and she begins to chew 

 again with eyes half closed, the embodiment of comfort 

 and happiness. This act gives to the cow, deer, goats, 

 sheep, and others the name Ruminants, because they chew 

 their food twice. To understand the operation thoroughly, 



Fig. III. — Stomach of a Ruminant (Sheep). 



E, esophagus; Ru, paunch; Ret, honeycomb; Ps, manyplies ; A. true digestive 

 stomach or rennet; Dti, beginning of intestine. 



some idea of the stomach of a ruminant (Fig. iii) should 

 be gained. There appear to be four compartments in it. 

 The grass is bitten or pulled off, and swallowed at first with- 

 out much preparation. It passes through the esophagus, 

 being large and poorly prepared, and enters the paunch, 

 or stomach number one. There it is mixed with water, 



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