FEEDING ANDIALS IN THE DARK. 163 



oil, etc., which would otherwise have gone to cover 

 the frame with fat. Thus a large portion of the food 

 is consumed or burned in the lungs and blood, to keep 

 the body warm. As the animal grows poorer under 

 this condition of things, it becomes less and less able 

 to resist the cold, so that at last about all of its nutri- 

 ment is used up, in the action necessary to keep it 

 from freezing. 



The animal that has a sheltered yard with plenty 

 of litter, with sheds facing to the south, for the day, and 

 good stables or other shelter for the night, is con- 

 stantly warm and comfortable; for these reasons re- 

 spiration does not need to be so rapid, and the larger 

 part of its food goes to the support and increase of its 

 body. Under such circumstances, we might expect a 

 smaller quantity of nourishment to produce a greater 

 increase of weight, and this is found to be actually the 

 case. 



The amount of exercise taken, has also much influ- 

 ence. When animals are fattening, the less exercise 

 of a violent nature that they take, the better; for every 

 exertion increases the depth and frequency of breath- 

 ing, and so of course makes a draft upon the food. 

 The more tranquil and quiet the state then, in which 

 the animal is kept, the more readily will fat accumu- 

 late. 



a. This is shown by the well known fact, that tur- 

 kies, pigeons, and other fowls, when shut up in the 

 dark, will fatten with very great rapidity. In such a 

 situation they are kept perfectly still; there being no 

 object to distract their attention, and make them rest- 

 less, they have nothing to attend to but eating, sleep- 

 ing, and digesting. 



Some experiments have also been made, on the ad- 

 vantage of fattening animals by feeding in confine- 

 ment, as contrasted with others at liberty. In Prof. 

 Johnston's Lectures, are given the results of an experi- 



