88 
KUBIIJJATING ANIMALS. 
in many instances extremely ponderous, from the 
weight of the horns or antlers. The other marked 
distinctions are — the small size of the cavity of the 
skull, compared with the face — the want of teeth in | 
the jaws — the longitudinal suture of the frontal bone j 
— the compression of the chest — the want of cla- I 
Tides, which lessens the power of seizure or pre- 
hension ; — while the lengthened form of the bones 
of the legs, and almost imperfect feet, are very mark- 
ed peculiarities indicating swiftness ; a power which ' 
is confirmed, when the pulley-like form of all the 
joints is examined, by which additional security and 
elasticity is given to them. 
In the internal structure, the most remarkable 
provision is that exhibited by the digestive organs. 
Their food being composed entirely of substances 
which yield little nourishment, compared with the 
bulk of material, it was required that as much as 
possible should be extracted from it ; and, for this 
purpose, we have a machine with various compart- 
ments, performing each their office in preparing and ; 
extracting the vegetable juices from the leaves, or 
blades, or the stalks and woody parts of the plants. 
Ruminating animals have generally been said to pos- ( 
sess four stomachs : we shall look, however, on the 
organ as a single bag, but with divisions, which act 
independent of each other, and for the sake of 
clearness they are numbered. The first or largest, 
called the paunch, immediately receives the food 
from the mouth with little mastication. This is 
I 
