oo -- oe: 
100 RUMINATION. 
terminates, where the cud-duct commences, and 
towards which the three stomachs open or end. 
Now in the process of returning the macerated 
food for re-mastication, it is the cud-duct, to- 
gether with the shut termination of the gullet 
approached to the shut inlet of the maniplies, 
which forms the pellets. To understand the 
mechanism by which these are moulded, let it be 
marked, first, that the cud-duct extends from 
the termination of the gullet to the inlet of the 
maniplies,—secondly, that when it contracts, it 
approaches one or other of these apertures,— 
thirdly, that of these two apertures, the termi- 
nation of the gullet is habitually shut, and the 
inlet of the maniplies, naturally straight, can be 
so narrowed as almost to close by its own con- 
traction,—and fourthly, that when the first two 
stomachs, compressed by the abdominal muscles 
and the midriff, contract, they push in conse- 
quence the materials which they contain both 
against the two apertures opposite to each other, 
and against the cud-duct opposite to the two 
stomachs. The two stomachs, in this manner, 
in proportion as they contract, push the materials 
contained in them between the margins of the 
eud-duct, and the cud-duct also contracting, 
causes the two apertures of the gullet and of the 
maniplies to approach, while the two apertures 
being closed and brought near together, seize 
upon a portion of the aliment, and detach it in 
the form of a pellet. The aperture of the gullet 
is closed during the act of detaching the pellet, 
because at that instant the midriff is contracted, 
~and it only opens when the midriff is relaxed ; 
and the aperture of the maniplies is closed, be- 
cause at that instant the maniplies, as well as 
the other stomachs, is contracted. From these 
circumstances, it is obvious that the pellet must 
be detached, as it could not otherwise be seized 
by the two approaching apertures,—that the 
pellet must be round, for this is the form of the 
cavity formed by the parts of the organ employed 
in the process,—and that the pellet must be 
about an inch in diameter, for the cud-duct, 
when contracted in the act of forming the pellet, 
is about an inch in length. How beautiful a 
contrivance,—how exquisitely adapted to the 
structure and wants of the animal,—and how 
minutely and highly illustrative of the all-per- 
vading beneficence and skill which everywhere 
shine out in the works of the Creator! 
One important practical lesson suggested by 
the nature of rumination, is the proper feeding 
of cows, in order to produce the greatest quantity 
of milk. Ifthey are fed on very dry food, such 
as hay, the greater portion of fluids in the blood 
will be spent in the process of rumination and 
digestion, and the milk will be scanty; but if 
they be fed on aliment which abounds in liquid, 
such as mangel wurzel or brewer’s grains, and 
distiller’s wash as in Holland, they will ruminate 
much less, a less quantity of saliva will be wanted 
for chewing the cud, and a large proportion will 
RUNDALE. 
go to the production of milk, though this will be 
thinner, and not so rich in cream as the milk 
produced from drier food. It is questionable 
whether cows fed wholly on distiller’s wash would 
ruminate at all any more than calves, which so 
long as they suck, never ruminate. : 
Another important practical lesson has refer- 
ence to the giving of medicines, and is stated as 
follows by Clater:—“ We may, to a very great 
extent, send medicine into what stomach we 
please. We may give it in a ball, and it will fall 
into the paunch, and thence go the round of all 
the stomachs: or it may be exhibited in a fluid 
form, and gently poured down, and the greater 
part of it passed at once into the third and fourth 
stomachs. That which is meant to have a speedy 
action on the constitution or the disease should 
be given in a fluid form. That also which is 
particularly disagreeable should be thus given, 
otherwise it will enter the paunch and be re- 
turned again in the process of rumination, and 
disgust the animal, and, perhaps, cause rumina- 
tion to cease at once. This would always be a 
dangerous thing, for the food retained in the 
paunch would soon begin to ferment, and become 
a new source of irritation and disease.” | 
A third important practical lesson has refer- 
ence to the sweating of the domestic ruminants, 
particularly sheep. Sweat is a production of the 
fluid portion of the blood, or arises from the same 
source as the salivary secretion employed in 
rumination; and hence the flow of it is more to 
be dreaded in ruminating animals than in others, 
inasmuch as it greatly diminishes the supply of 
fluid which ought to be employed in rumination. 
If sheep are sweating while they ruminate, there 
will be two evacuations of fluid at the same time, 
the body will be dried, and the blood exhausted 
and heated by the loss, while thirst will super- 
vene, so as to make them drink till they are 
incommoded and their temperament altered. 
Sweating is also hurtful to sheep in other re- 
spects; for the fibres of their wool are thereby 
deprived of a part of their nourishment, which 
the sweat carries out of their body, while the 
heat which occasions the sweat causes the wool 
to grow too rapidly to acquire sufficient con- 
sistence. 
RUMEX. See Doox. 
RUNDALE. A peculiar and most mischie- 
vous kind of land-tenure in some parts of Ireland. 
It distributes each natural division of a tract or 
townland among all the tenants or small pro- 
prietors of the whole tract ; and is therefore the 
very worst possible kind of commonage, and may 
be regarded as the modern and aggravated form 
of the old English system of common-field, and 
the old Scotch system of runrig. See the articles 
Common and Runria. An occupant by right of 
rundale may have his proportion of a tract in 30 
or 40 different patches, all without fences, and 
some so very small as not to need more than half 
a stone of oats to sow them. All rundale occu- 
