88 



THE CHEMISTRY OF THE FARAL 



table shows the digestibility ascertained for some of the 

 common pig foods : — 



EXPERIMENTS WITH PIGS. 



The digestive power of the pig for the foods here men- 

 tioned is very considerable, and in cases admitting of 

 comparison appears to be fully equal to that possessed by 

 ruminant animals. Nor is the pig incapable of digesting 

 vegetable fibre, when this is presented in a favourable 

 condition. Two pigs fed on green oats and vetches di- 

 gested 48'9 per cent, of the fibre supplied. The digestive 

 apparatus of a pig is not, however, adapted for dealing 

 successfully with bulky fodder. Pigs are very capable of 

 digesting animal food. 



4. Experiments with Geese. — These birds have no 

 power of digesting vegetable fibre ; the food apparently 

 passes too quickly through the system for the fibre to be 

 attacked. 



* The numbers in this case are the result of a single experiment, 

 t These ratios refer to the part of the food actually digested. 



