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THE JAINA GAZETTE nosed whale. As the animals march under the blazing sun, for days on end, this store is drawn upon until at least the hump assumes a flabby condition, a mere bag of skin and fibres.
And what is true of the Arabian or one-humped camel, is true also of the Bastrian, or two-humped camel in Atis.
What was the predisposing cause which brought about the storage of oil on the back, in humps, instead of the more usual form of fat on some other part of the body, as in other animals is at present beyond us.
As touching the ability to store water attributed to the camels --they can indeed do this for times of stress; at it is caried. not in the hump. but in special cells or cavities of the stomach. These take the form of numerous chambers opening into the stomach, and attached to its under-surface in the form of a semicircular belt. Most of these chambers open into the "romen". or "paunch," but some into the "recticulum," or honeycomb." For the stomach of the camels—which are ruminants-is composed of several intercommunicating chambers. In these animals, however, the compartment of the stomach known as the “psalterium" or "many plies," is reduced to a mere vestige.
In the course of rumination, in the camels, the water swallowed is strained off from the solid food, and stored up for future use in these water-cells, which, when filled, can be closed by the contraction of muscles surrounding the aperture of each. As the march proceeds, the store, which amounts to nearly two gallons, is slowly drawn upon; but until these and the "emer. .gency rations " of the hump are consumed, the animal can run along without undue discomfort, although lasting, or with very little food. It does not seem to be generally realized that the stomach of the elephant is capable of storing a considerable quantity of water although the elephant itself is not only well aware of the fact, but makes good use of it.
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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