378 NAVIN ON THE HOESE. 



side of the lower jaw, are larger than the sublingual glands. 

 A part of each gland lies as far back as the forward part of 

 the windpipe. Each of these glands has a tube, or duct, lead- 

 ing fi-oni it, which passes along the under side of the tongue 

 and opens into the mouth by a little, nipple-like elevation, 

 under the fore-part of the tongue. This little elevation is com- 

 monly called the harl, and some are foolish enough to snip it off. 

 The fcirotid glands, or almonds of the ear, are situated, one 

 on each side of the head, behind the branches of the lower 

 jaw, and in front of the heaviest part of the temporal bones. 

 They extend as high up as the roots of the ears, and down to 

 the turns of the lower jaw. They are the largest of the sali- 

 vary glands. Each gland has a duct, or tube, leading from it, 

 which passes along the inner part of the turn of the jaw and 

 crosses to the outside a little forward of the turn, and passes 

 forward, and opens into the mouth opposite the grinding teeth. 

 The salivary glands secrete the saliva, which is a clear fluid, 

 and which is mixed with the food while it is being chewed. 

 The saliva is poured out in large quantity while the horse is 

 eating. Several pounds of this fluid are poured into the mouth 

 during a meal. It renders the food soft and moist so as to ad- 

 mit of being swallowed, and also more readily acted upon by 

 the fluids of the stomach. There are also many small glands 

 situated within the mouth, which assist in furnishing saliva to 

 moisten the mouth and the food taken into it. 



The fharynx is a wide opening in the upper part of the 

 throat, of a funnel shape, and which opens back into the gullet. 

 The food is carried back by the tongue and lodged in the 

 pharynx, from which it goes on into the gullet. 



The gullet, or esophagus, is a long, muscular tube extending 

 from the pharynx, in the back part of the mouth, to the stom- 

 ach, in the abdomen. In the first part of its course it lies be- 

 tween the windpipe and bones of the neck, but soon passes to 

 the left side of the windpipe, and passes into the chest with it. 

 It then inclines upward along the space between the lungs, 



