117 



little or no trouble to masticate it. Then, when the animal has had 

 its fill, it rests and commences to chew the cud. Small pellets or 

 boluses are formed by the churning motion of the rumen. These 

 pellets are then passed to the second stomach, where the fine portions, 

 such as meals, cakes, and bran, are sifted out, and carried at once 

 to the third stomach, while the rougher portions are formed into a 

 bolus and thrown up the gullet, into the mouth, to be properly chewed 

 and insalivated. This process over, it is again swallowed, and sent 

 back into the paunch ; thus, some portions of the food are re-masticated 

 several times, while foreign bodies, such as sand, nails, &c., as already 

 mentioned, are left in the second stomach. My idea of this process 

 originated many years ago, on performing Rumenotomy — that is, 

 cutting into the stomach, and removing its contents. On putting my 

 hand through the opening in the left side, I found in the upper and 

 back part of the rumen a number of small pellets of food, varying in 

 size from that of a nut to a good-sized apple, and, I came to the 

 conclusion that, by the action of the muscular bands found in the walls 

 of the paunch, these pellets were rolled up and carried over the top of 

 the food lying in the bottom of the paunch to the second stomach, to 

 be there sifted, as already stated (pav. 289). None of the compartments, 

 except the rumen, is large enough to hold all the cud that the animal 

 chews, at once, and the second stomach, which is said by some to be 

 the water bag, is so small that it would not hold a tenth part of the 

 quantity of water which an animal drinks at a time. 



293. The Small Intestine in cattle is much less in diameter 

 than that of the horse, yet it is about twice as long, being about 140 

 feet in length. The large intestine is about 36 feet in length. The 

 Caecum, or first portion of large intestine, is very simple, and oblong 

 in shape, its free or blind end is rounded, and without any bands" or 

 furrows. It joins the colon at its other extremity, where it also receives 

 the insertion of the small intestine. The Colon, or second portion of 

 large intestine, is narrow and without bands or furrows, and is arranged 

 in irregular coils, and finally ends in the Rectum. 



294. Sheep. — T\\Q Alimentary canal in sheep resembles that of cattle 

 throughout. 



