io the Rearing and Feeding of Cattle. 
265 
between the muscle and skin, and throughout the muscle itself, 
prevents the absorption of air by the skin, which we know actually 
takes place in the ordinary state of health. The oxy<^en of th3 
absorbed air unites with part of the body or of the food ; but 
after an animal is fattened to a certain amount, this absorption 
bein<; prevented, a cause of waste is thus removed. Secondly, 
the deposition of fat in the liver and kidneys prevents their active 
action, and the animal is thrown into that diseased state which we 
desire, in which fat is formed at the expense of the formation of 
the bile. Thirdly, the most important cause, however, seems to 
be, that an unnatural quantity of fat is accumulated in the caul 
and loins. This fat pushes up or forward the diaphragm, lodges 
about the heart and edges of the lungs, encroaching much upon 
the space which should be occupied by the latter. The lungs 
are thus pushed aside and contracted, and consequently less air 
enters the body to consume the food. All these circumstances 
serve to render the greatest return from the food given in the last 
stages of fattening. 
A farmer dislikes to see large ears, and experience has taught 
him that an animal possessing such ears v/ill not prove a kindly 
feeder. It is needless to say that the shape of the ear or its 
delicacy cannot of itself be the cause of early maturity. The 
character of the ear can only be valuable as being the index 
of the operations of the internal organs. If an animal be 
prone to coarseness of flesh, that is, to a strong development 
of muscle, without much cellular tissue or fat, this will be ex- 
hibited by an increased size of ear. The old Kentish sheep, 
before it was improved by a cross with the Leicester breed, 
possessed large ungainly ears, coarse flesh, little fat, and large 
bones. But the improved breed, with a greater aptitude to lay on 
fat quickly, along with the flesh has thrown oft" its huge ears, 
and substituted in their stead much smaller ones. The Leicester 
sheep themselves, before Bake well began to improve them, pos- 
sessed large ears, and along with them coarse flesh, large bones, 
and little aptitude to fatten. In fact, a consideration of all the 
improved breeds shows us that the cars became smaller when the 
bones did also, and when the general coarseness of the animal 
yielded to the more delicate constitution of the quick feeders. 
What holds with respect to the breeds themselves, must do so 
with the individuals which constitute those breeds. Hence it is 
that largeness of cars becomes an index of the coarseness of the 
animal, and of the size of those organs which, we have endeavoured 
to show, produce this coarseness and prevent quick feeding. 
It is universally admitted that a wide and capacious chest 
should be possessed by a good animal. This has much con- 
nexion with the development of flesh, for much valuable muscle 
