436 Growth of Chiékens in Confinement 
tempted to raise chickens in confinement; and the good effects 
which appeared to result from the use of paper fiber have led us to 
continue to feed it in the form of blotting paper or moist paper 
pulp in our subsequent experiments with chickens. It is sur- 
prising with what avidity large quantities of paper were eaten, 
full grown birds consuming daily a sheet of blotting paper nearly 
2 feet square. By supplying this cellulose material the use of the 
more complex forms of roughage, as grass, straw, etc., was 
avoided. It is possible that the employment of plenty of oat 
straw litter by poultrymen has its advantage in the supply of 
roughage thus furnished rather than in the exercise which it is 
generally supposed to stimulate. 
Out of ten 3 weeks old White Leghorn chicks similarly put on 
various experimental rations and deprived of all green food, four 
attained a considerable size. Photographs of two of these are 
shown at an age of 271 days and weights of 1,520 gm. (3.3 pounds, 
cockerel) and 1,130 gm. (2.5 pounds, pullet) respectively. The 
pullet later reached a weight of 1,370 gm. (8 pounds) at an age 
of 298 days. The cockerel crowed vociferously and the pullet 
laid two eggs while under observation. Most of the other chick- 
ens of this lot, however, developed the characteristic inability 
to use their legs. Nevertheless many of them continued to gain 
weight in spite of the fact that they were almost entirely help- 
less. It is possible that these individuals did not acquire the 
habit of eating enough of the paper fiber and consequently their 
digestions became impaired with the subsequent development of 
“weak legs.’’ On diets where no corn or other material furnishing 
plant pigments of the xanthophyll or carotin type was present the 
absence of pigmentation in the epidermal scales on the legs and 
the ear lobes was noticeable, testifying to the well known fact 
that the coloring matter in these parts comes from the food. 
Their combs and wattles were in most-cases anemic. 
The chicks thus far considered had presumably been reared 
under outdoor conditions and were 3 to 5 weeks old before they 
were selected for experiment. Drummond has expressed the con- 
viction that, ‘“‘The age at which the chick is brought under the in- 
fluence of these artificial conditions is apparently the chief de- 
termining factor in its subsequent development, other conditions 
being the same.” We therefore hatched a large number of White 
