34 THE CAMEL 



up to certain glands and conveyed into circulation 

 by means of a set of conduits, named lacteals from 

 the milk-like appearance of the fluid contained. The 

 remaining mass is passed on through the small and 

 large intestines, during which passage still further 

 nutritious matter is selected from it, until ultimately 

 superfluities are expelled in the form of excrement, this 

 being particularly rich in ammonia, as proved by sal- 

 ammoniac being prepared from it. The gastric juice 

 is well known for its power of coagulating milk, and 

 when taken from the calf, salted, and dried, is called 

 ' rennet,' and used in making cheese. 

 The young Before we proceed any further, a few words as to 



camel's 



stomach the internal machinery of the young camel. In these 

 animals, as in all ruminants, I believe, the operation 

 which takes place is extremely simple, yet beautiful ; 

 for the milk, then their only form of nourishment, 

 neither requires nor undergoes the process of rumina- 

 tion. When the young one is fed the milk is con- 

 veyed direct from the mouth, through the gullet, 

 into the fourth compartment, passing by the second 

 and third compartments, which in this stage are only 

 partially developed, and avoiding the folds of the 

 third compartment, which are closed up altogether. 

 Dallas, writing in 1860, says : ' In young ruminants 

 this structure of the stomach is not distinctly visible, 

 the first three cavities being very small, and the 

 milk passing directly into the fourth or true stomach ; 

 and in the Camelidse it has been recently found that 

 the psalterium, or third stomach, is entirely deficient.' 



Water This brings us down to a subject of even greater 



interest, if not importance, in connection with the 



