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nearly in itsnature to pigeons’ dung. Uric acid hasbeen found in it. It gives carbonate of ammoniaby distillation, and immediately yields solublematter to water. It is very liable to ferment.
The dung of fowls is employed in common withthat of pigeons by tanners to bring on a slightdegree of putrefaction in skins that are to be usedfor making soft leather ; for this purpose the dungis diffused through water. In this state it rapidlyundergoes putrefaction, and brings on a similarchange in the skin. The excrements of dogs areemployed by the tanner with similar effects. In allcases, the contents of the grainer, as the pit is calledin which soft skins are prepared by dung, mustform a very useful manure.
Rabbits' dung has never been analysed. It is usedwith great success as a manure by Mr. Fane, whofinds it profitable to keep rabbits in such a manneras to preserve their dung. It is laid on as fresh aspossible, and is found better the less it has fer-mented.
The dung of cattle, oxen and corns, has beenchemically examined by M. M. Einhof and Thaer.They found that it contained matter soluble inwater; and that it gave in fermentation nearly thesame products as vegetable substances, absorbingoxygene and producing carbonic acid gas.
The recent dung of sheep, and of deer, afford,when long boiled in water, soluble matters, whichequal from two to three per cent, of their weight.