OEGANS OF DEGLUTITION. 125 



side of the neck above the windpipe, and the second through 

 the middle of the chest. The oasophagus becomes wider as 

 it descends, and is endowed with very great elasticity and 

 remarkable contractile power. 



In order to adapt the muscular coat of the oesophagus for 

 a progressive or vermicular action from above downwards, 

 or from below upwards, its fibres interlace each other 

 obliquely, as seen at Fig. 67, which I borrow from Peyer's 

 Merycologia. 



Fig. G7. 



This arrangement I believe to be very similar in all ani- 

 mals, though most marked in ruminants in which the oeso- 

 phagus is extremely active. The pillars on each side of 

 the oesophagean canal before mentioned are strongly mus- 

 cular. 



The mucous lining of the gullet secretes a scanty mucus, 

 o-iid is protected by a stratified layer of cells or epithelium, 

 which has been termed its cr.ticular coat. This dense cellu- 

 lar covering is evidently destined for protection. The 



