86 THE BOOK OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 



a. The large quantity of food taken in calls into requisition 

 a large stomach for its reception and digestion, as well as a long 

 intestine which offers a large surface of absorption for the nutritious 

 particles of the food which are only sparingly scattered throughout 

 the whole digestive mass. (Compare, on the contrary, the 

 Carnivora.) 



b. The nutritious elements of vegetable substances (starch, 

 sugar, albumin, etc.) are enclosed within what are called hard coats 

 of cellulose, and these are not dissolved by the digestive juices. 

 In order, therefore, that the contents may be digested, these cellu- 

 lose envelopes must of necessity be destroyed, and to bring about 

 this desirable result the vegetable substances taken in as food 

 must be crushed and ground up as finely as possible. An inter- 

 esting comparison may thus be made with the Dog, which bolts, 

 or swallows, a piece of meat without making any attempt to 

 masticate it. 



The Ox, then, grinds up its food by means of a lateral grinding 

 movement of the lower jaw. This movement is effected by reason 

 of the situation and the construction of the teeth in both the upper 

 and lower jaws, details of which need not be given, but in order 

 that the food may be efficiently pulverized a large grinding surface 

 is necessary. Hence we find that the molars are both large and 

 numerous, there being six on each side above and below. 



A number of large teeth naturally means that they must be 

 located in large jaws, and in consequence of these the elongated 

 head of the Ox is the result. 



Dr. Schmeil concludes this part of his analysis with the remarks 

 that "the longer a man moves, and the more energetic his move- 

 ments, the more food is he obliged to take, in order to replace 

 used-up force; the longer he remains at rest, the less force is used 

 up, and consequently the less food required to replace it. The 

 . same law applies equally to animals. (Compare with Bat and Mole.) 

 Applying this principle to the Ox, it is easily seen that if this 

 animal were at once to grind up its food, while in the act of 

 feeding, to the necessary fineness, it would be obliged to stand or 

 slowly walk about on the pastures for an even longer time than 

 it actually does. In consequence, however, of the division of 

 the stomach into four compartments and the act of rumination, 

 the animal is able to carry on the greater part of the act of 

 mastication while at rest. It is evident that in this matter much 



