INTRODUCTION. 11 



the many-plies and reed ; whilst a great portion of 

 that which is moist and succulent passes readily into 

 those cavities, on its first descent into the stomach. 



It has already been shown by the illustration, (p. 4,) 

 that the paunch is the largest of the four cavities ; but 

 this is not the case with the stomach of the young 

 calf, which, while it continues to suck, does not rumi- 

 nate ; in this case the reed, which is the true digestive 

 cavity, is actually larger than the other three taken 

 together. 



When the calf begins to feed upon solid food, then 

 it begins to ruminate ; and as the quantity of solid 

 food is increased, so does the size of the paunch increase, 

 until it attains its full dimensions. In this latter case, 

 the paunch has become considerably larger than the 

 other three cavities taken together. 



A curious modification of an organ to adjust itself 

 to the altered condition of the animal is beautifully 

 shown in the instance now under consideration, the 

 nature of which will be easily understood by a reference 

 to the following diagrams, giving the exact relative 

 proportions of the different cavities of the stomach to 

 each other in the young calf and in the full-grown 

 cow. 



[I am informed by Professor Symonds, of the Royal Veterinary 

 College, that the two following sketches should be placed in the 

 page so as to be viewed with the oesophagus to the right, and the 

 pylorus to the left, instead of being, as they now are, at the top and 

 the bottom ; but as the present object is only to show the relative 

 sizes of the different cavities, the error is not of much conse- 

 quence.] 



