118 Eeport of Department of Animal Industry of the 



in the weight of the samples dried at 60° C. indicate different moisture- 

 content of the feces of the several periods. This bears no relation 

 to the consumption of water nor to the total phosphorus of the 

 ration as is shown by the following figures: 



Period 



Water intake, kilos 



Phosphorus intake, grams. . . 



Water in feces, kilos 



Water in feces, per ct 



From experiences in past work in this Station, one would expect 

 dryer feces to result from the change from a whole-bran ration to 

 one in which the bran was washed. This we see to be the case if 

 we examine the eighth column of Table X. The moisture of the 

 feces drops gradually, in a four-day lag, from 86 per ct. in period I 

 to 81.5 per ct. in period II. With a further decrease of the phos- 

 phorus in the ration, the moisture of the feces rose instead of 



Table X. — Intake and Outgo of Water. 



* The temperature recorded was kindly furnished by Mr. Newell and is the average 

 maximum per day, taken in a shaded and properly ventilated place about 150 feet 

 from the metabolism room. 



becoming less, though the animal took in 4.3 kilos less of water per 

 day. The laxative effect observed in previous experiments was 

 probably due to some other factors than the phosphorus compounds 

 or potassium and magnesium. The ingestion of phosphorus, potas- 



