to the Rearing and Feeding of Cattle. 
263 
first case, the air beins: condensed, more oxyg-en enters the system, 
and incites the animal to exercise in order to carry ofT the trans- 
formed tissues of the body : but in warm climates little oxygen 
is respired, and the transformations proceed with so much slow- 
ness, that no such inducement exists with the natives. We have 
mentioned a case of unnatural diet in warm countries, which 
impels the foreigner to take exercise. Now we find large bones 
principally in restless wiindering tribes of animals inured to much 
fatigue : their habits show that they ])ossess large lungs. Such 
animals do not soon pant and lose breath by being driven, as the 
Leicester sheep do. The small ness of the bones is valuable as 
indicating the nature of the animal, its lethargic habits, and we 
might venture to add, although we want direct proof of this, its 
smallness of lungs. But there is another great advantage which 
small-boned animals have over those which possess much bone. 
The osseous or bony system possesses a great degree oi vitality. 
We know that if the bone of a young animal be broken, the 
injury is quickly repaired by the numerous blood-vessels which 
ramify so extensively through the substance of the bone : but 
when the osseous system is less developed, less vitality is neces- 
sary to rear its fabric, and, consequently, more is left for the 
assimilation of muscle and of flesh. Small-boned animals must 
possess more vegetative life than those with large bones ; for, 
being less active in their habits,* only a small amount of vitality 
(the cause of increase) is required to execute the commands of 
volition, and hence it is employed in increasing the mass of the 
liody : this fact alone is amply sufficient to account for the pre- 
ference given to small-boned animals. For the same reason we 
love to see an animal possess a placid countenance and a bright 
quiet eye. Farmers are unwittingly great believers in physi- 
ognomy, and j udge of the temper of the animal by the appearance 
of its eyes and face. A quiet contented animal feeds and assimi- 
lates its food, as if it quite coincided in the propriety of its owner's 
wish, that it should rapidly make itself ready for the butcher ; 
but a restless ill-tempered beast moves about and wastes its tissues 
in the production of force, throwing every obstacle in the \vay of 
its feeder's intention. 
Another point very much insisted upon by the feeder is, that 
the animal should have a melloiv feel. This ' mellowness ' is a 
kind of softness and elasticity perceived upon pressing the skin, 
and is considered a favourable sign of the aptitude of an animal 
to fatten. Fat consists of little vesicles lodged within a modi- 
fication of cellular tissue, to which the name of adipose tissue has 
been given ; but it is in fact cellular tissue. This cellular tissue 
* The horse would be an exception to this rule. 
