100 THE FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



an incomplete wall runs to the reticulum and omasum 

 from the entrance of the esophagus into the rumen. It 

 communicates both with the rumen and reticulum. The 

 interior of this canal is not visible in its passage along the 

 inner wall of the reticulum unless the lips with which it 

 is provided are separated. 



FIG. 2. Stomach of ox. T, rumen or paunch, showing attachment 

 of esophagus; C, reticulum or honeycomb; O, omasum or many-plies; 

 A, abomasum or rennet, showing attachment of small intestine. 



139. The rumen. The food, especially in its first 

 descent from the mouth, passes at first mostly into the 

 paunch through a slit in the gullet. This cavity, as stated, 

 is very large, and it may properly be considered as an 

 immense reservoir for the storage of the bulky materials 

 which the ruminants take as food. It is divided into 

 four sacs by constriction in its walls caused by strong 

 muscular bands. As is the case with the entire digestive 

 canal, the walls of the paunch are composed of three 

 layers of tissue, the middle one being a very thick muscu- 

 lar coat, which seems necessary to produce the churning 

 movement of the large mass of food. The inner or mucous 



