NATURE-STUDY LESSONS. 33 



This action of the cow is called chewing the cud. The cow stows away 

 the grass as it is collected in a large receptacle called the paunch. From 

 the paunch the mass passes into a second and smaller receptacle or stomach 

 in which it is rolled into balls called cuds. By a muscular movement these 

 cuds are, at a convenient time, brought up to the mouth and masticated 

 and thence passed into a third receptacle whence they find their way into a 

 fourth receptacle, the true stomach, where they are digested. 



This method of quickly stowing away in a paunch a large amount of 

 food without the necessity of masticating it at the time must have served 

 an important purpose to the cow in its wild state as it serves the deer and 

 other wild animals at present. It permitted them to gather much food in 

 the grassy plains before being molested by predaceous animals like the 

 tiger and lion. When satisfied or disturbed the cows retired to their 

 coverts and chewed their cuds at leisure. 



Animals that chew the cud as the cow are called ruminants. 



39. {a) Name other ruminants that you have observed. 

 (J)) Discover to what extent rumination is associ- 

 ated with the cloven hoof. 



40. (a) Observe the cow drinking. 



(Jj) Compare the drinking of the cow with that of 



the horse. 

 if) Note the number of times a cow drinks and 



infer the advantage of having a running 



stream in the pasture field. 



H. Uses of the Cow. 



41. {a) What useful product is obtained directly from 



the living cow? 

 {J}) How is it obtained ? 

 (£■) What products are made from it ? 



42. What uses are made of the different parts of the 

 cow's body ? 



43. Compare the uses made of the covering of the cow 

 with that of the horse and sheep. 



