110 PROGRESSIVE POULTRY CULTURE 



entrance to the windpipe, connecting with; the lungs. 

 By cutting away the outer skin of the neck, the spinal 

 column, the windpipe and the gullet are laid bare. The 

 breathing tube is ribbed, somewnat gristly and nearly 

 transparent, while the foodvtube is of about the same 

 size but smooth, soft flexible and of grayish color. 

 These two tubes run parellel and close together along 

 the neck^bone to the clavicle or "wish 'bone" at the for- 

 ward part of the breast. Hiere the food-tube enlarges, 

 forming the "crop." If the bird had partaken of a 

 hearty meal a short time before .being killed, this part 

 of the digestive system will be found to be distended 

 with food mingled with waiter and digestive fluids. 

 By opening, emptying and inverting this food recep- 

 tacle it is seen to have an inner lining of glandular 

 follicles, through which are supplied digestive liquids. 

 These by mingling with the contents of the crop serve 

 to soften and help to make solvent the particles of 

 food. 



By cutting the ribs and the intervening tissue on 

 both sides of the bird from front to rear, the lower or 

 breast part may be removed exposing the interior of the 

 fowl to view. The food^tube is seen to extend from 

 the crop towards the rear, between the heart and the 

 liver which are in the front or chest cavity. This 

 cavity also contains the lungs which are pinkish in 

 color and lie close to the backbone. The windpipe as 

 it passes between and beyond the clavicle 'bones, divides 

 amid sends branches to connect with each of the two 

 lungs. The chest ca'vity is separated from the rear 

 or abdominal cavity by the diaphragm, a thin, almost 

 transparent membrane. Just -back of this membrane 

 and near the spinal column are the sexual organs. 



The digestive canal as it passes to the rear enlarges 

 somewhat to form what is termed the stomach and 

 then connects with the gizzard. Cutting open the stom- 

 ach and turning out its inner linings shows the peculiar 

 glandular surfaces which furnish further digestive liq- 

 uids and aiidi in the dissolving and assimilating of the 

 food. 



