STOMACHS OF RUMINANTS. 195 



The grass which is devoured in large quan- 

 tities by these animals, and which undergoes 

 but little mastication in the mouth, is hastily 

 swallowed, and is received into a capacious 

 reservoir, (marked 1 in the figure,) called the 

 paunch. This cavity is lined internally with a 

 thick membrane, beset with numerous flattened 

 papillae, and is often divided into pouches by 

 transverse contractions. While the food remains 

 in this bag, it continues in rather a dry state ; 

 but the moisture with which it is surrounded 

 contributes to soften it, and to prepare it for a 

 second mastication ; which is effected in the 

 following manner. Connected with the paunch 

 is another, but much smaller sac (2), which is 

 considered as the second stomach ; and, from its 

 internal membrane being thrown into numerous 

 irregular folds, forming the sides of polygonal 

 cells, it has been called the Jioneycomh stomach, 

 or reticule. Fig. 313 exhibits the reticulated 

 appearance of the inner surface of this cavity. 

 A singular connexion exists between this sto- 

 mach and the preceding ; for while the oesophagus 

 appears to open naturally into the paunch, there 

 is on each side of its termination, a muscular 

 ridge which projects from the orifice of the latter, 

 so that the two together form a channel leading 

 into the second stomach ; and thus the food can 

 readily pass from the oesophagus into either of 

 these cavities, according as the orifice of the one 

 or the other is open to receive it. 



