CHAPTER XV. 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 
1. The Digestive Organs. 
Fowls do not masticate their food, but swallow it whole. 
It passes through the oesophagus or gullet into a sort of 
bag situated in the upper portion of the breast. This is 
called the crop. Here the food is moistened and passed 
along the alimentary canal to the gizzard, receiving at the 
same time the juices 
necessary to digestion. 
Here by the strong 
muscles of its sides 
the food is ground 
against small stones, 
pieces of grit or other 
hard substances until 
it is reduced to a soft, 
pulpy mass, after which 
•it passes into the in- 
testines. These vary 
much in length and 
size according to the 
size of the bird, rang- 
ing in an ordinary barn- 
yard 'fowl from four 
feet to ten feet in length 
and from one-tenth to 
a half an inch in diam- 
eter, being smaller 
nearest to the gizzard. 
672 
Fig. 109. 
A Barred Plymouth Rock Cock — 
Sketch from Life. 
Opening into the rectum or latter 
