188 THE GREAT THICK-SKINNED ANIMALS 



like the hog, has a hoof divided into two toes; but the animals of this 

 new group differ entirely from other animals in that they chew their 

 cud, and receive a special name, ruminants. This is a very large class, 

 and it contains animals with which all are very familiar, because they 

 are so common. The first one to suggest itself is the ox or cow. We 

 have all seen the ox and cow come in on an evening from the pasture 

 and lie down and appear to be eating and sw'allowing something when 

 apparently they have nothing before them to take into their mouths. 

 They are, in fact, chewing the cud. It is hardly necessary for us to 

 go into a particular description of how^ this is done, but we can see for 

 ourselves that, while grazing, these animals nip off the grass between 

 the large cutting teeth in front of the lower jaw and the tough pad on 

 the upper jaw, which has no teeth, the tough pad taking their place. 

 After each mouthful the animal does not proceed to chew it or cut it 

 up into fine pieces with the teeth, as flesh-eating animals do, but instead 

 it swallows it immediately, and continues thus to graze until it satisfies 

 ils appetite. Then, as you have no doubt noticed, it seeks a quiet and 

 shaded spot, and there lying down, or standing, it chews the cud at 

 leisure. If careful attention be given, it will be seen that there is a 

 slight hiccough action just as it commences to chew. The mouth, 

 which was empty, becomes full of coarse pieces of grass, which have 

 previously been taken into the first stomach. This the animal imme- 

 diately proceeds to chew with the large back teeth or grinders, in a 

 slow and steady manner, moving its lower jaw back and forth from 

 one side to the other, from right to left. \\'hen this chewing has lasted 

 a little while, the food is mixed with the liquids of the mouth, and made 

 into a pulpy or soft mass, when it is swallowed. Then there is another 

 hiccough, and another quantity of food is taken through the same 

 process. 



