Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-21
DIGEST AT LEISURE.
Why Animals That Eat Grass Are
Supplied With Four Stomachs.
A MEANS FOR SELF-PROTECTI0N.
Eyes and Ears 50 Situated as to Serve in
Detecting Danger.
POSSIBILITY OF sTELLAR.sPEcTRES
WRITTEN FOR THE p1srArcH.I ]

feel the rum trickling down yard or two.
If his wish could have been gratifed he
probably would next have wanted the four
stomachs of the giraffe for similar reason.
Not only the giraffe, but such well-known
domestic animals as the COW, the sheep, the
goat and the camel are thus endowed with
what at first thought may be regarded as
stomach extravaganza. In addition to
these domestic animals the quadruplex di-
gestive apparatus is found in such wild
creatures as the buffalo and all the members
OF the deer family, but it is not found out
side of the order technically called rumi-
nantia and commonly known as cud-chewing
animals.
The operation of this complicated men,
Der is very interesting. In the infancy of
the animal, before the weaning period, only
only one of the four stomachs is used. This
is what III the adult is called the fourth or
last one. But when the time comes for
changing the diet from milk to herbage the
three hitherto disused stomachs are put to
work. The grass cropped by the COW, for
example, is not chewed at once, but is passed
directly into the large stomach, No. I. If
the COW were killed Immediately afterward
the grass would be found practically the
same as if it had been cut with scythe.
But after remaining there awhile it is
moistened with sort of saliva and then
passed into the second stomach This one
is sometimes called the honeycomb stomach,
because of its cellular formation on the in
side. Its appearance is familiar to lovers of
tripe.
ROLLED UP INTO BALLS
At this stage of the process nature has
provided a surprising arrangement. The
moistened grass is now rolled about over the
honeycombed surface until it is made into
quite compact balls. Then these balls are
in turn passed up into the mouth, and there
lesurely chewed. After this has been thor
oughly done the mass starts downward
again and fetches up in the third stomach.
In this are great many folds, wherein the
food is put through course of kneadlng
and crushing. Finally it passes to the
goes directly in calfhood; and this stomach
corresponds to the one in human kind,
where gastric juice is mingled with the food.
But why would not single stomach, like
that which answers so we'll for humanity,
also do for the COW and other animals of the
ruminantla? In the answer you will find
another example of the fact that nature
makes no mistakes. The ramInantia, in the
first place, are timid animals, always glad
to flee from danger, and never combative
except in self-defense. Secondly, it requires
the greater part of the time to crop herbage
enough to sustain life. The COW, browsing
in good pasture, will keep on eating the
greater part of the day. In their wild
state, however, animals of this class
do not get selected pastures, and
they generally have to make the
best use of their business hours in
grass clipping. Well, in their native wilds
these animals are constantly menaced by
carnivorous or flesh eating animals, includ-
ing man. Driven from their browsing
places they might starve before they could
safely return. Here appears the wisdom
shown in the mysterious stomachs. The
COW or the sheep, by hard work, on the ten
hour system of labor, can clip enough grass
to keep the digestive machinery in fair
supply for three days. With this benefcent
provision the wild members of the class can
flee to barren mountains when pursued and
live on the supplies stored in the first
stomach until it is safe to return to the
browsing ground.
SITUATION OF THE EYES.
Another of natures provisions for the
protection of these harmless and very useful
ruminantia is the peculiar construction of
their ewes and ears. You know that the
eyes OF cat are set directly in the front OF
its head, and you have probably noticed
that the pupils of its eyes are elongated up
and down. BY this means the animals
vision is sharpened Cor stealing upon Its
prey, directly ahead. Now the ruminantia
are the natural prey OF carniverous
animals, and their eyes are the
exact reverse of the prey seekers.
That is, the eyes are at the side of the head,
as you see in the COW and the sheep, and the
pupils of the eyes are elongated horizontally,
the opposite OF those of the carnivora, in
order that they may take in wide stretch of
horizon, and thus enable them to see in
many directions the approach of an enemy.
Their ears, also, are set far back in the head,
and are so constructed that they can be
turned in almost any direction to detect the
faintest sound. Thus the Lord not only
"tempers the wind to the shorn lamb" but
makes other special provision for its protec-
tion.
If our sun and all the stars must event.
ually burn out and become dead celestial
bodies, as the astronomers tell US, then we
should like TO know what is to become of
the remains. 1t is a pretty we'll established
fact that in nature nothing is lost, and we
may fairly assume that there is no universal
cemetery where defunct stellar bodies are
laid at rest When our sun, for example,
reaches the end OF its life-span it will of
course emit no light, yet its change from
life will not stop its onward, journey in
the realms Of space at Its present rate of
nearly half million miles day. Just so
1t must be with all the other suns, the whole
30, ,000 900 that are visible through the tele-
scope, and the countless millions beyond
telescope range. But in considering this
matter of burnt-out and dead sun we must
remember that we can look at stars any
clear night, that may have been we'll de-
fined suns ages before our own great lumin-
ary was born.
THOUSANDS OF STELLAR SPECTERs.
And, if this process of sun making, or
been going on so long, does it not logically
follow that there are, at this very moment,
stellar specters, dead and dark remains OF
stars, wandering through the universe?
Many astronomers believe this is so. and
none of them has so far successfully argued
against the theory. If this be true we may
be looking directly in the line Of dead
and dark star, up there between two bright
and living ones, when we gaze at the
heavens these clear December nights.
But here is an interesting thought: If
these immense dead bodies are thus wander
ing through space, is there not possibility
that one may wander into the confines of the
solar system and play havoc with our sun
and his little brood Of planets and moons.
This possibility has been discussed BY some
astronomers; but the matter is one that
neither this generation nor the next oDe. at
least, need trouble itself about. For this
reason: The approach OF such body would
be detected bv astronomers before 1t could