STKUCTURAL PECULIARITIES AND ANATOMICAL NOTES 37 



as being set apart solely for water a fact which to me 

 seems indisputable. Having described the rumen, he 

 continues : ' The remarkable peculiarity of this stomach 

 in the camel, which I wish to describe, is that appended 

 to it are pouches arranged in two groups, disposed in 

 parallel rows, separated by strong muscular bundles, 

 given off from a large band of fibre, which commence 

 at the extremity of the rumen and proceed in a longi- 

 tudinal direction, dividing the entire cavity into two 

 compartments. Muscular bundles of fibres are arranged 

 transversely, and are otherwise distributed so as when 

 contracting to close these square-shaped mouths of the 

 pouches. This arrangement, all comparative physio- 

 logists agree, is a provision for the especial stowage of 

 water, enabling the camel above all animals to tolerate 

 upon an emergency an abstinence from that fluid ; but 

 let the word " emergency " be remarked, for it has been 

 mentioned that, although the animal is thus enabled to 

 travel on a short supply, it does not follow that he is 

 not better with his tanks frequently replenished. This 

 interesting provision has been made much stock of by 

 lecturers, and I am afraid in their enthusiasm erroneous 

 impressions have been conveyed ; for instance, I recollect 

 one who said that when he found the camel to pos- 

 sess two extra stomachs for the conveyance of water, 

 the object of which was to supply him with refreshment 

 during his passage through the desert, he could not 

 help ejaculating, " How wonderful !" and went on to 

 enlarge greatly upon the jealousy with which the supply 

 was drawn upon, conveying the idea that it was only 

 when the animal arrived at an extremity that these 

 stomachs were opened, and even then but just sufficient 



