THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. 



249 



mucous lining membrane presents few glands, has tesse- 

 lated stratified epithelium, and is elevated to form leaf-like 

 papillae, which are largest in the depths of the pouches, 

 and disappear towards the muscular bands. The reticulum, 



Fig. 46. — Rumen and reticulum. Muaculur coat, c, d, e,f. Pouches of the 

 rumen. (Simonds.) 



or second stomach, hangs below the termination of the 

 oesophagus between the rumen and the diaphragm. Its 

 lining membrane presents a "honeycomb'-' arrangement, 

 having hexagonal depressions separated from each other 

 by narrow ridges, and in them are secondary hexagonal 

 depressions. The spaces are largest at the deeper part. 

 The whole surface presents conical papillae. The cavity 

 is separated from that of the rumen no more than one 

 poucb of that organ from another. This is the smallest 

 of the stomachs, and functions as a pouch of the rumen. 

 In passing above this stomach the groove inclines from 

 left to right, it terminates in the omasum, manyplies, or 

 third stomach. This is situated on the right of the anterior 

 part of the rumen, and is curved and oval in shape ; 

 its lining membrane, with fibres from the muscular coat, 

 projects inwards, forming folds or laminae, which are largest 

 at the greater curvature^ at the. centre of the organ. 



