198 VERTEBRATA. MAMMALIA. 



ORDER VIII. RUMINANTIA.* 



THIS is an exceedingly natural order, the indi- 

 viduals composing it showing little deviation from 

 the common structure, except in one or two in- 

 stances. The most prominent character is that of 

 chewing the cud, or ruminating, an operation which 

 has given name to the Order. The food being en- 

 tirely vegetable, containing much woody matter with 

 little nutriment, it is necessary that all which it 

 can afford, be extracted : there are therefore four 

 stomachs, which successively receive the food, three 

 of which are so situated that the food may be sent 

 from the gullet into either of them. The grass, 

 hastily chewed, passes into the first and largest sto- 

 mach, called the paunch; hence, after maceration, 

 it passes into the second, or honeycomb; it is here 

 pressed into little pellets, which one by one are 

 forced up into the mouth to be slowly chewed over 

 again. It would appear that this second chewing 

 is a very pleasant operation, performed usually dur- 

 ing repose. Being once more swallowed, it passes 

 into the third division, called, from its numerous 

 folds, the many plies ; and thence into the fourth, 

 or stomach proper, where true digestion takes place. 

 It is only by receiving large quantities of herbage, 

 that the paunch becomes enlarged ; in the suck- 

 ing animal, it is very small, the milk passing at once 

 to the fourth stomach. 



* Rumen, the paunch, also the cud. 



