THE COW 237 
The nostrils are large and gaping, for much the same 
reasons as apply to those of the Horse. The sense of smell, 
which also is keen, greatly assists the animal in avoiding 
danger. 
The mouth and teeth. In front of the lower jaw are 
eight incisors, or cutting teeth: these bite against a hard 
pad in the upper jaw. At the back of each jaw, on either 
side, are six molars or 
grinding teeth. The 
herbage is pulled into 
the mouth by thelong 
. : flexible tongue and 
eS Nonameland uneven sumface - mobile lips ; it is then 
held firmly by the 
lower cutting teeth against the pad, and half torn, half 
bitten off by a sudden jerk of the head. The molar teeth 
are made of substances differing in hardness, so that some 
portions wear away more quickly than others, thus giving 
rise to an uneven surface which greatly helps in the process 
of grinding. ‘This is further assisted by the movement of 
the lower jaw, which is jointed to the upper jaw in such a 
way as to allow it to move both up and down and from 
side to side. The plant food, on which the animal lives, 
must be well ground up in order to be digested. 
The cow a ruminant. After she has been feeding for 
some time, the Cow seeks a quiet comfortable spot and lies 
down. Here her jaws are seen to be moving as if they 
were chewing, and every now and then she gives a slight 
hiccough accompanied by a contraction of her flanks, ’ 
Kach time this is done, her mouth is filled with slightly 
chewed grass, which is slowly ground up between the 
molar teeth, and again swallowed. Another hiccough 
brings up a fresh lot of grass, which, in its turn, is 
gradually reduced to a finely-divided condition and then 
swallowed. . 
