Alimentary Canal

or Duct. (Comp. Anat.) A cavity in the interior of an animal body in which the nutriment is taken to be digested before it is conveyed by the nutritive ve els to the system. Sometimes it. is a single cavity with but one opening; sometimes a canal with a vent distinct from the mouth; sometimes it is divided into four bags, as the stomach of the ruminants; or into seven, as in the bottle-nosed whale. [s. 20]