THE URINARY AND GENERATIVE ORGANS. 329 



colon in the horse commence almost close to each other, 

 but the former is a blmd gut, having but one entrance. 

 The sheep, however, can scarcely be said to possess a 

 caecum, unless we term the blind portion of the colon 

 by that name ; for the fact is, the small intestines terminate 

 in the large at a right angle with them (see I. in cut p. 120), 

 and the blind portion extends about a foot in one direction 

 from this angle and maintains its size for the space of two 

 feet. 



The termination of the small intestines in the large de- 

 serves particular notice. The internal membrane of the 

 former projects into the latter so as to form a sort of valve, 

 which, admitting the faeces to pass forwards, effectually pre- 

 vents their passing backwards, and thus, too, prevents the 

 effects of clysters operating- beyond the large intestines. 

 The diameter of the colon is about treble thai of the small 

 intestines, but this increased size only reaches the extent 

 of three feet, when the intestine gradually diminishes to 

 about the size of the small guts, and so continues for about 

 nine feet, when it enlarges about a foot prior to its termina- 

 tion. This latter portion may be termed the rectum without 

 impropriety. Soon after the large intestines become narrow, 

 the faeces gradually become hard, and acquire the form of 

 small black, balls, in which state they are dropped. 



The chyle, we have observed, is principally absorbed from 

 that portion of the small intestines termed the ileum ; there 

 is little or none remaining by the time the faeces reach the 

 large intestines, but the fluid absorbed from these guts is 

 principally of a watery nature. 



THE URINARY AND GENERATIVE ORGANS. 



The urine is separated from the arterial blood by means 

 of the kidneys, which are two large glands shaped like a 

 bean, situated within the abdomen, but attached firmly to the 

 loins. These glands are largely supplied with blood by im- 

 portant arteries ; and the urine being separated as by a filter 

 enters two long white ducts termed the ureters, one of which 

 rises from the pelvis or central notch of each kidney, and 

 passes on to the bladder, whose coats are pierced in an ob- 

 lique direction (which, forming a sort of valve, prevents the 

 urine returning) not very far from its extremity or fundus.* 



* The urine of the sheep is much less copious than that of the cow, 

 28* 



