42 A COUNTRY READER. 



ing the attack of their enemies. This disposition 

 has been handed down to the domestic cattle, 

 and is seen in the patient, slow-moving bullock 

 and cow. 



A horse, as you have read, has a very small 

 stomach, and so can only take in a small quan- 

 tity of food at a time. 



When the wild cow drops a calf she conceals it 

 in any good hiding-place that there is about as a 

 protection against any beasts of prey. Having 

 done this, the cow goes off and fills her udder 

 full of milk in the manner you have just read, 

 when she comes back to give her calf its meal. 



As the cow only makes a sufficient quantity of 

 milk to fill its calf's large stomach and satisfy its 

 hunger, perhaps twice a day, the calf must 

 take in a large quantity of milk at one meal. 

 In consequence of this, it would have small 

 chance of escaping its enemies by speed as does 

 a foal, which has a small stomach and requires 

 food often and in small quantities. Therefore, 

 to obtain the large quantity of milk food that 

 its young requires, the cow most cleverly con- 

 ceals her calf while she wanders off, it may be 

 for hours, to graze off a sufficient quantity of 

 herbage to turn into milk with which to fill her 

 udder. 



Of course, when the cow mother is near her 

 calf, she will defend it to the death against any 



