ANATOMY. 17 



creted by the glands of the mouth. This is the act of rumi- 

 nation. It is during this process that the saliva is mostly 

 secreted, for very little of it is concerned in the first chewing 

 of the food. But the flow of it during mastication in the 

 ruminating process is very copious, and so much so as to 

 form with the finely ground food a mere semi-liquid, thus 

 aiding in the solution of the nutritive matter contained in 

 the food. It has been thought that this curious process 

 has been designed especially for this class of animals, in- 

 offensive, mild and meek and unarmed, and seemingly in- 

 tended by nature as food for the ravenous, carnivorous, 

 blood-thirsty beasts of prey. It has thus been provided with 

 some means of escaping extermination, by its habits of 



Fig. 1. Fig. 2. 



THE SHEEP'S STOMACH. 



a. -Gullet; 6.-Rumen; c.-Reticulum; d.-Omasum; g.-Abomasum; 

 /.-Duodenum. Fig. 2 shows the interior of the stomach. 



secretiveness, feeding at night, or at short intervals during 

 the days, in which it is able to swallow its hastily gathered 

 food, and retiring to its coverts there at leisure and in safety 

 completing its process of remastication and performing the 

 needed functions of nutrition. 



A correct knowledge of the .stomach is therefore not 

 only interesting to the shepherd, but useful in the manage- 

 ment of a flock. For it is the case that most of the mishaps 

 and ordinary diseases of the sheep are originated in the 

 digestive processes, which not being duly performed lead to 

 a general disturbance of the system, by which a majority of 

 the ailments of the sheep are caused. 



Taking a general view of this organ we find it to be 



