176 RUMINANTIA. 



For the purpose of assisting the reader to form a correct idea 

 of this wisely arranged internal mechanism, ive give a section 

 of a stomach, as in Plate VI. fi-g. 13, with the following 



EXPLANATION. 



In the stomach of the Ruminants, (fig. 13,) the gullet or oeso 

 phagus (A) which is opened, expands into the paunch or Rumen 

 (B) which is divided by a muscular wall ; the valve (C) allows 

 the food only to pass gradually, by the action of the paunch, into 

 the Reticulum or hood, (D,) which is opened to show the folds 

 and cells called the honeycomb, and from which the food, moist 

 ened and compressed, is passed back to the mouth a-nd chewed 

 again. When swallowed the second time, it passes to the oma- 

 sus, or third stomach, (E.) The gullet has a fold running down 

 and walling in the orifice of the omasus, (F.) The fibres sur 

 rounding this orifice contract on the application of crude veget 

 able matter ; but when this matter has been elaborated in the 

 rcticukun, and chewed the second time, the orifice expands, and 

 by the action of the muscular fibres of the stomach, is brought 

 higher up into the gullet to receive the then welcome mass. 

 The laminated or leaf-like structure of the omasus, sometimes 

 called the leaflet, is shown in the figure. From this the food 

 passes to the fourth stomach, (abomasus, G,) which has digestive 

 powers similar to that of the simpler stomach in other animals. 

 The third stomach is the least essential to ruminants capable of 

 enduring long thirst and of living upon dry shrubs, like the 

 Camel and Llama. It cannot properly be said to exist in them, 

 and the opening leads directly into the abomasus. It is remark 

 able that the milk upon which young animals of this kind are 

 fed, requiring no process of rumination, passes directly from the 

 gullet into the fourth stomach. 



Another character of the Ruminants is the possession of inci 

 sor or cutting teeth in the lower jaw only. Cuvier makes them 

 consist of two divisions ; first, those without horns, and secondly, 

 those with horns. The larger part have horns, particularly the 

 males. The few species which want these organs have the 

 tusks, or cutting teeth, which are deficient in the others. The 

 vegetable nature of their food renders the flesh of these animals 

 wholesome and agreeable. Their milk furnishes butter and 

 cheese ; their skins, leather ; their horns, combs ; their wool, 

 cloth and yarn ; their hair is used in the making of matresses, 

 sofas, etc. The fat has the property of hardening as it cools, 

 and is distinguished by the name of suet. Their tallow is made 



