of the Cavities which constitute the Stomach of the Whale . 97 
The third cavity in all of them is very small, and bears a 
strong resemblance to the third cavity in the camePs stomach ; 
its use, therefore, is probably the same. 
The fourth stomach in all of them has a smooth internal sur- 
face, with the orifices of glands opening into its cavity. In the 
bottle-nose whale of Dale the two additional cavities have the 
same internal structure, and therefore must have the same ge- 
neral use, with a greater extension of surface, and the subdi- 
visions will make the food pass more slowly into the intestine. 
The first stomach of the whale is not only a reservoir, but 
the food undergoes a considerable change in it. The flesh is 
entirely separated from the bones in this cavity, which proves 
that the secretion from the glandular part has a solvent power. 
This was found to be the case in the bottle-nose porpoise and 
large bottle-nose whale. In both of them several handfuls of 
bones were found in the first stomach, without the smallest 
remains of the fish, to which they belonged. The soft parts 
only can be conveyed into the second and third stomachs, 
the orifices being too small to admit the bones to pass. 
The bones must therefore be reduced to a jelly in the first 
stomach, and although the process, by which this is effected, 
being slower than that, which separates the flesh, is the reason 
of their being found in such quantity in the cavity, the means 
by which it is performed are probably the same. 
The second cavity was supposed by Mr. Hunter to be the 
true digesting stomach, in which the food becomes chyle, and 
the use of the third and fourth he looked upon as not exactly 
ascertained.* 
* Vide Observations on the Structure and (Economy of Whales. By Johw 
Hunter. Phil. Thrans. Vol. LXXVII. page4ii. 
o 
MDCCCVII. 
