STOMACHS OF SOLIPEDS. 49 



The third, or cuticular coat (B, a, fig. 1), covers only a 

 portion of the inside of the stomach, and is a continuation 

 of the lining of the oesophagus or gullet. It contains num- 

 erous glands which secrete a mucus fluid. It covers about 

 one-half of the inside of the stomach. 



The fourth is the mucus or villous (velvet) coat (B, #), 

 which secretes the gastric juice, and here true digestion 

 commences. The mouths of the numerous little vessels, 

 upon this coat, pour out this digesting fluid, which mixes 

 with the food and converts it into chyme. After being con- 

 verted into chyme it passes the orifice called pylorus (mean- 

 ing doorkeeper) and enters the small intestines ; the hard or 

 undissolved part of the food being turned back to undergo 

 further action. 



STOMACHS OF RUMINANTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS. 



The peculiarities in form of the digestive organs of the 

 different classes of our domestic animals should be well 

 understood. And, having explained and illustrated that 

 of the horse, ass and mule, called solipeds, we now illustrate 

 and explain the more complicated digestive organs of 

 ruminants. The illustrations answer equally well for cattle 

 and sheep. There are very slight differences in the position 

 of the organs, but this is not material taan understanding 

 of the process of digestion in both. Fig. 2 was drawn by 

 Prof. James Law for the Live Stock Journal) and we also 

 give his written description of the stomachs of ruminants. 

 Fig. 3 is the external appearance of the stomach of a young 

 sheep, taken from Dr. Eandall's "Sheep Husbandry of 

 the South." Fig. 4 is an illustration of the internal 

 appearance of the stomachs given by the learned author, 

 Youatt. 



Professor Law, who stands in t^e front rank of compara- 

 tive physiologists, after speaking of the great variety in the 

 form and arrangement of the digestive organs of different 

 8 



