328 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITTJTION, 1941 



and fattening to be the major portion of a diet. Soybean meal, beans 

 (cooked) , and other leguminous products are excellent foods. 



Wheat middlings, a byproduct of the manufacture of white flour, 

 is largely composed of wheat germ. It is, therefore, an excellent 

 material to put into bread and mashes, and to use otherwise. 



Nuts are particularly good food for many animals. Such hard nuts 

 as walnuts and hickory nuts, and somewhat softer nuts such as pecans, 

 hazel nuts, or filberts, are especially valuable in providing such animals 

 as squirrels with a means of wearing down their incisor teeth. How- 

 ever, if the teeth have grown to much more than normal length before 

 the nuts are given to the animals, it may be impossible for the cutting 

 edges to come to bear on the nuts. This will make it necessary to 

 cut the teeth to give the animal itself a chance to keep them worn down. 



Acorns, which grow throughout much of the world, are relished by a 

 surprisingly wide variety of animals, including squirrels and other 

 rodents, skunks, hogs, deer, bears, and many more. 



Peanuts (not only the unroasted nuts, but also the roasted and the 

 salted ones) are relished by great numbers of animals. The seeds of 

 cherries, peaches, and almonds can be safely offered to animals. 



Germinating grain and the young green grain plant are particularly 

 rich in vitamins A and E. Many animals are very fond of this food, 

 which can readily be supplied them by germinating the grain in pans 

 or boxes containing a little moist earth or sand, or merely with moist 

 cotton. A new pan of germinating or growing grain can be placed in 

 the cage each day, or as often as is necessary. 



Many waterfowl, particularly geese, normally are grass eaters. 

 They therefore relish lawn clippings and some of the common garden 

 weeds. A suitable substitute for fresh material of this kind can be 

 supplied by slightly soaking bright alfalfa hay and chopping it up 

 into short lengths. Chopped hay is especially valuable in the winter, 

 when green food is not readily available. 



Alfalfa leaf meal is now available through poultry and livestock 

 feed houses. It is an excellent food for many animals that habitually 

 eat hay, and for a great many that eat only a small amount of dried 

 vegetation. 



Hay of the various leguminous plants (especially alfalfa, clover, soy- 

 bean, cowpea, etc.) is particularly high in protein and vitamin A and 

 is very nutritious. 



If several different kinds of hay of first-class quality can be obtained 

 and offered to the animals, the best results will ordinarily be obtained. 

 However, if several different kinds are not available, it is possible to 

 do very well with hay that is well cured but which contains a mixture 

 of weeds, grass, clover, and other legumes. The refuse left by the 

 animals after they have picked through this should be carefully 



