ZOOLOGY. 
836 
That in the second cavity was found nearly pure, while 
the other was muddy, and of a yellow colour, tinged by the 
solid contents of the first cavity. 
On examining the cellular structure, no part of the solid 
food had entered it, nor was there any in the second cavity; 
those cavities having their orifices so constructed as to pre¬ 
vent the solid food from entering even when empty. 
On measuring the capacities of these different reservoirs in 
the dead body, they were as follows:—The anterior cells of 
the first cavity were capable of containing one quart of water 
when poured into them. The posterior cells three quarts. 
One of the largest cells held two ounces and a half, and the 
cells of the second cavity four quarts. This, however, must 
be considered as much short of what those cavities can con¬ 
tain in the living animal, since there are large muscles cover¬ 
ing the bottom of the cellular structure, to force out the 
water, which must have been contracted immediately after 
death, and by that means had diminished the cavities. 
By this examination it was proved, in the most satisfactory 
manner, that the camel, when it drinks, conducts the water 
in a pure state, into the second cavity ; that part of it is re¬ 
tained there, and the rest runs over into the cellular structure 
of the first, acquiring a yellow colour in its course. 
This confirms the account given by M. Buffon, in his ex¬ 
amination of the camel’s stomach, as well as that of travellers, 
who state that when the camel dies in the desert, they open 
the stomach and take out the water which is contained in it 
to quench their thirst. 
That the second cavity in the camel contained water, had 
been generally asserted, but by what means the water was 
kept separated from the food, had never been explained, nor 
had any other part been discovered by which the common 
offices of a second cavity could be performed. On these 
grounds Mr. Hunter did not give credit to the assertion, but 
considered the second cavity of the camel to correspond in 
its use with that of other ruminants, as appears from his ob¬ 
servations on the subject, stated by Dr. Russel, in his history 
of Aleppo. 
The difference of opinion on this subject led Sir Everard 
to examine accurately the structure of the stomach of the ca¬ 
mel, and of those ruminants which have horns; so as to de¬ 
termine, if possible, the peculiar offices belonging to their 
different cavities. 
The eamel’s stomach anteriorly forms one large bag, but 
when laid open, this is found to be divided into two com¬ 
partments, on its posterior part by a strong ridge, which 
passes down from the right side of the orifice of the oesopha¬ 
gus, in a longitudinal direction. This ridge forms one side 
of a groove that leads to the orifice of the second cavity, and 
is continued on beyond that part, becoming one boundary 
to the cellular structure met w ith in that situation. From 
this ridge, eight strong muscular bands go off at right angles, 
and afterwards form curved lines, till they are insensibly lost 
in the coats of the stomach. These are at equal distances 
from each other, and, being intersected in a regular way by 
transverse muscular septa, form the cells. 
This cellular structure is in the left compartment of the first 
cavity, and there is another of a more superficial kind on the 
right, placed in exactly the opposite direction, made up of 
twenty-one rows of smaller cells, but entirely unconnected 
with the great ridge. 
On the left side of the termination of the oesophagus, a 
broad muscular band has its origin from the coats of the first 
cavity, and passes down in the lorm of a fold parallel to the 
great ridge, till it enters the orifice of the second, where it 
takes another direction. It is continued along the upper edge 
of that cavity, and terminates within the orifice of a small 
bag, which may be termed the third cavity. 
This band on one side, and a great ridge on the other, 
form a canal which leads from the oesophagus down to the 
cellular structure in the lower part of the first cavity. 
The orifice of the second cavity, when this muscle is not 
in action, is nearly shut; it is at right angles to the side of 
the first. The second cavity forms a pendulous bag, in 
which there are twelve rows of cells, foimed by as many 
strong muscular bands, passing in a transverse direction, and 
■intersected by weaker muscular bands, so as to form the ori¬ 
fices of the cells. Above these cells, between them and the 
muscle which passes along the upper part of this cavity, is a 
smooth surface extending from the orifice of this cavity to 
the termination in the third. 
From this account it is evident, that the second cavity 
neither receives the solid food in the first instance, as in the 
ruminantia, nor does the food afterwards pass into the cavity 
or cellular structure. 
The food first passes into the first compartment of the first 
cavity, and that portion of it which lies in the recess, imme¬ 
diately below the entrance of the oesophagus, under which 
the cells are situated, is kept moist, and is readily returned 
into the mouth along the groove formed for that purpose, by 
the action of the strong muscle, which surrounds this part of 
the stomach, so that the cellular portion of the first cavity in 
the camel, performs the same office as the second in the ru¬ 
minants with horns. 
While the camel is drinking, the action of the muscular 
band opens the orifice of the second cavity at the same time 
that it directs the water into it; and when the cells of that 
cavity are full, the rest runs off into the cellular structure of 
the first cavity immediately below, and afterwards into the 
general cavity. It would appear that camels, when accus¬ 
tomed to go journeys, in which they are kept for an unusual 
number of days without water, acquire the power of dilating 
the cells, so as to make them contain a more than ordinary 
quantity, as a supply for their journey ; at least such is the 
account given by those who have been in Egypt. 
When the cud has been chewed, it has to pass along the 
upper part of the second cavity, before it can reach the third. 
How this is effected without its falling into the cellular 
portion, could not, from any inspection of dried specimens, 
be ascertained; but when the recent stomach is accurately 
examined, the mode in which this is managed becomes very 
obvious. 
At the time that the cud is to pass from the mouth, the 
muscular band contracts with so much force that it not only 
opens the orifice of the second cavity, but acting on the 
mouth of the third, brings it forward into the second, by 
which means, the muscular ridges that separate the rows 
of cells, are brought close together, so as to exclude these ca¬ 
vities from the canal through which the cud passes. 
It is this beautiful and very curious mechanism, which 
forms the peculiar character of the stomach of the camel, 
dromedary, and lama, fitting them to live in the sandy 
deserts, where the supplies of water are very precarious. 
The first and second cavities of the camel, as well as those 
of the ruminantia, are lined with a cuticle. 
The third cavity in the camel is so small, that were it not 
for the distinctness of its orifices, it might be overlooked. It 
is nearly spherical, four inches in diameter, is not like the 
third of the ruminantia, lined with a cuticle, nor has it any 
septa projecting into it. The cuticle, continued from the 
second cavity, terminates immediately within the orifice of 
the third, the surface of which has a faint appearance of 
honey-combed structure ; but this is so slight as to require a 
close inspection to ascertain it. 
This cavity can answer no other purpose in the ceconomy 
of the animal, than that of retarding the progress of the food, 
and making it pass by small portions into the fourth cavity ; 
so that the process, whatever it is, which the food undergoes 
in the third cavity of other ruminants, would appear to be 
wanting in the camel, and consequently not required. 
The fourth cavity lies to the right of the first, and has for 
a great part of his length, the appearance of an intestine; it 
then contracts partially, and the lower portion has a near re¬ 
semblance in its shape, to the human stomach. Its whole 
length is four feet four inches; when laid open, the internal 
membrane of the upper portion, is thrown into longitudinal 
narrow folds, which are continued for about three feet of its 
length; these terminate in a welted appearance; the ridges 
are as large as in the bullock, but not so prominent nor so 
serpentine in their course, and for the last nine inches the 
membrane 
