BOOK XI. Lxxviii. 199-LXXIX. 202 



in which the roomy laxity of the abdomen passes 

 the food on to the lower parts. 



LXXIX. From this abdomen start in the sheep Theintea- 

 and in man the smaller intestines through which the phytioiogy 

 food passes, and in the other species the entrails, of digestion. 

 from which the roomier intestines pass to the belly, 

 and in the case of man in extremely winding coils. 

 On this account species in which the distance from 

 the belly is longer are greedier for food ; moreover 

 those with a very fat abdomen are less clever. 

 Birds also in some cases have two receptacles, one 

 down which food just eaten passes to the throat, the 

 other into which they pass the food fi-om the throat 

 when digested — -e.g. hens, ring-doves, pigeons and 

 partridges. Almost all the other species in most 

 cases have not got this, but make use of a more 

 widely opened gullet, for instance jays, ravens 

 and crows. Some species treat the food in neither 

 manner, but have the abdomen very near ; these are 

 species that have specially long and narrow necks, 

 for instance the sultana-hen. The abdomen of 

 whole-hoofed animals is rough and hard. In that of 

 some land animals the roughness is denticulated, 

 and in that of others it has a latticed bite. Species 

 that are without teeth in both jaws and that do not 

 ruminate digest their food here and pass it down 

 from here into the belly. This in all species is 

 attached at its middle to the navel; in man at its 

 lower part it resembles the belly of a pig; the 

 Greeks call it the colon ; it is the seat of a great 

 cause of pain. In dogs it is extremely narrow, and 

 for this reason they can only relieve it with a violent 

 effort and not without severe pain. The most 

 ravenous animals are those in whom the food passes 



559 



