584 



Crragurgi of Natural Hg 



lar on the two sides ; and at the anterior 

 extremity are one or more rows of vibratile 

 cilia, usually arranged in a circular manner, 

 which, when in motion, appear like revolv- 

 ing wheels (as in the Wheel Animalcule, 

 which has a circular row of cilia on each 

 side). The posterior extremity is prolonged 

 into a tail, possessing three joints, each of 

 which has a pair of prongs or points. The 

 cilia are disposed in two circles, forming 

 what are called the wheels. By the succes- 

 sive vibration of these, the appearance of a 

 continual rotation is produced; and their 

 action creates rapid currents in the surround- 

 ing fluid, by which the supply of food is 

 obtained. Between the wheels the head is 

 occasionally protruded, bearing two red 

 spots, supposed to be eyes ; and on its under 

 surface there is a projecting tubular spike, 

 which is believed to act as a syphon for the 

 introduction of water into the general cavity 

 for the purpose of respiration. The micro- I 

 scope alone reveals the wonderful structure 

 and variety of the animals of this class. Mr. ] 

 Brightwell of Norwich was the first who 

 discovered the males, while Mr. Gosse lias ] 

 confirmed and extended our knowledge of 

 these interesting Crustaceous animals. He 

 is preparing a fine work on the subject, with 

 admirable drawings. 



RUDD, or RED-EYE. (Cyprinus ery- 

 throphthalmus.) This Acanthopterygious fish, ' 

 which is from eight to ten inches long, \ | 

 very common in many of the lakes and 

 rivers of the European continent, and is 

 found in the Thames and various other 

 rivers in the British islands. It has a small 

 head, blunt nose, and orange-coloured irides; 

 back arched, and sloping rather suddenly 

 towards the head and tail ; scales large : 

 general colour pale gilded olive, the back 

 being browner, and the whole varying when 

 viewed in different positions in reference to 

 the light : the fins more or less bright red or 

 reddish-brown ; dorsal fin rather small, and 

 placed beyond the middle of the back : tail 

 forked. It is said to be a better fish to eat 

 than the Roach, with which it corresponds 

 in size and weight. 



RUFF. (.Machetes.) A genus of Wading 

 birds belonging to the Scolopacidce family. 

 The Ruff (Machetes pugnax) is a bird of a 

 very pugnacious character ; the female of 

 which is called the REEVE. It is about a 

 foot in length ; and is principally distin- 

 guished by a very remarkable circle of long 

 feathers round the neck, whence it receives 

 its name : in some birds these feathers are 

 black, in others white, yellow, or ferrugi- 

 nous ; and even in the same bird they fre- 

 quently differ in colour. It is only the 

 male, however, that is furnished with this 

 appendage, which he does not gain till the 

 second year. These birds are migratory, 

 appearing at certain seasons of the year, in 

 great numbers, in the north of Europe. 

 They arrive in this country early in the 

 spring, take up their abode in Lincolnshire, 

 Yorkshire, &c., and disappear about Michael- 

 mas. Soon after their arrival, the males 

 begin to hill, as it is termed ; that is, to 

 assemble on some dry bank, near a pool of 



water, in expectation of the females, which 

 there resort to them. Each male takes pos- 

 session of a small spot of ground, round 

 which he runs so often as to make a bare 

 circular path ; and as soon as a female, 

 alights, all the males within a certain dis- 

 tance commence a general fight, placing 

 their bills to the ground, spreading their 

 ruff, and using the same action as the com- 

 mon cock. They are generally taken in 

 large nets. When fattened, they are dressed 

 like the AVoodcock, without withdrawing 

 the intestines ; and when killed at the pro- 

 per season, are reckoned a most delicious 

 treat for an epicure. The pugnacious dis- 

 position of these birds is so strong, that when 

 they are kept for the purpose of fattening, 

 their place of confinement is obliged to be 

 dark, as, the moment any light is admitted, 

 they attack each other with such fury as to 

 occasion a great slaughter. The female lays 

 four white eggs, marked with large rusty 

 spots, in a tuft of grass, during the first week 

 in May, and sits on them about a month. 



RUMINANTIA. An order of herbivorous 

 Mammalia, which not only feed exclusively 

 on vegetable matter, but which ruminate, or 

 * chew the cud,' (thereby meaning, that they 

 I possess the faculty of masticating a second 

 time their food, which they return into the 

 mouth after a previous deglutition as 

 Oxen, Sheep, Deer, Goats, Camels, &c. " The 

 stomach of the Ruminants is especially 

 organized for rumination, consisting of four 

 distinct cavities, all of which communicate 

 with a muscular canal, at the termination 

 of the oesophagus. Hard, solid, or coarsely 

 masticated food passes from the beginning 

 of the muscular canal into the first cavity 

 of the stomach, called the rumen, or paunch. 

 Water is received into the second cavity, 

 called the reticulum, and almost exclusively 

 occupies the honeycomb cells of tliat cavity; 

 it is gradually mixed with the coarsely 

 divided food which is undergoing mastica- 

 tion in the rumen. When this is sufficiently 

 advanced, a portion of the mass is received 

 into the muscular canal at the termination 

 of the oesophagus : it is there moulded into 

 a ball, and propelled by a rapid arid inverted 

 action of the muscles of the gullet into the 

 mouth, where it is more perfectly masticated, 

 mixed with fluid, and again swallowed. It 

 now passes directly into the third stomach, 

 called the psalterium, from the broad leaf- 

 like plates of membrane with which it is 

 occupied j here the superfluous fluid, which 

 otherwise might have too much diluted the 

 gastric juice, is absorbed, and the subdivided 

 cud passes gradually into the fourth or true 

 digesting stomach, called the abomasus." 

 Brandt's Diet. The senses of the Rumi- 

 pantia are extremely acute, and serve to 

 indicate to them the approach of danger, as 

 well as to direct them in their choice of 

 food. Their eyes are placed at the side of 

 the head, so that their range of vision is 

 greatly extended. The ears also are placed 

 far back, and are very movable ; so that 

 they can be turned to catch sounds in any 

 direction ; and their sense of smell is par- 

 ticularly acute. Of all animals, Ruminants 



