134 THE CAM EI* 



ftures; neither is this delicate food neceflary for 

 them. They even fecm to prefer wormwood, 

 thirties *, nettles, broom, caffia f, and other 

 prickly vegetables, to the fofteft herbage. As 

 long as they find plants to browfe, they eafily 

 difpenfe with drink %. 



Beiides, this facility of abftaining long from 

 drink proceeds not from habit alone, but is ra- 

 ther an effed of their ftructure. Independent 

 of the four ftomachs, which are common to ru- 

 minating animals, the camels have a fifth bag, 

 whicn. ferves them as a refervoir for water. 

 This fifth fto.mach is peculiar to the camel. 1$ 

 is fo large as to contain a vaft quantity of wa- 

 ter, where it remains without corrupting, or 

 mixing with the other aliments. When the 

 animal is prefTed with thirft, and has occafion 

 for water to macerate his dry food in rumina- 

 ting, he makes part of this water mount into his 



paunch, 



* When the camels are unloaded, they are allowed to go 



in queft of briars or brambles. Though the camel is a 



large animal, he eats little, and is content with what he finds. 

 He fearches particularly for thirties, of which he is very fond; 

 Voyage de Tavernier, torn. l» p. 162. 



f Cameli pafcentes fpinam in Egypto acutam, Arabicam- 

 que etiam vocatam Acaciam, in Arabia Petrea, atquejuncum 

 odoratum in Arabia deferta, ubivis abfynthi fpecies aliafque 

 herbas et virgulta fpinofa quae in defertis reperiuntur ; 

 Profp. Alpin. Htft. Egypt, part. I. p. 226. 



% When the camel is loaded, he lies on his belly, and ne= 

 ver allows a greater burden to be put on his back than he 

 is able to carry. If he finds herbage to eat, he can pafs fe- 

 deral days without drink; V Afrique d'Qgilby, p. it. 



