Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-08

Why They Fluff Out Fur or Feath.
ers or Flick Muscles.


One day in the early part OF the winter
had my camera pointed at the distant
snow covered woods when my attention
was attracted by the sight OF two rab
hits crouching together at the foot OF q
hollow tree. l had often seen rabbits sit
ting in this position In a cage and knew
that 1t was a habit among the members
of the rabbit family to sit side by side
for mutual warmth. sometimes heads to-
gether and sometimes head 20 tail.
Every naturalist IL familiar with the
fact that quail VIII cluster together under
an overhanging bank. A naturalist told
me that he once found quail In such O.
situation parity imbedded in the ice and
frozen. 1t appears that the birds went
there for mutual warmth: then came
a rain and the water. trtckling down
the bank. thoroughly soaked the birds.
froze before morning and thus held them
prisoners.
The thoughtful poultry man does not
let his hens go around the yard In the
winter. as was the old time custom. but
keeps them in warm sheds with glaAs
fronts Hens dislike to have their feet
touch snow or ice. IL they do 20 the
hens try to keep them warm by ltfting
up first one and then the other and hold
ing it under the feathers.
During the greater part Of the day
hens when left to run about the yard
will get on a piece Of wood and seemingly
go to roost. What they are trying to
do is to keep their feet warm. The better
method is to house the hens In a dry
place where they can scratch clean straw
and thus have exercise and at the same
time keep their feet from the snow or the
ice.
The cat has a similar habit OF getting
OH high fence or a board in some sun
ny place and then turning her paws In
ward, SO that no part remains uncovered
by fur and exposed to the Geld.
The dog that is apparently shivering
with intense cold is not really shivertnG.
but is voluntarily Ticking his body
muscles and is thus aiding the circula-
ton much as the circulation In your
hands is aided by rubbing them together
or by rapidly opening and closing your
fingers. or as the circulation in your
arms is FASTENED by whipping them
around your body.
The thick coat of wool on the sheep ~
the best protective covering, not only be
cause il prevents the cold air from touch
ing the surface of the body. but because
the great amount of air entangled within
1t keeps the heat Of the body from pass
ing freely away, while the mass OF wool
itself keeps the external air from rapidly
cooling the imprisoned warm air. and
thus cooling the body. But when the
winter is unusually severe even tire sheep
show their desire for warmth by crowd
ing against shed or a haystack to pro-
tect their faces and legs from the SEARCH
ing wind that forces itself through the
wool and forces out the warm air entan-
gled there.
The gray squirrel is heavily furred In
cold weather. but he delights to snuggle
down in the Hest within the hollow tree
amid the dry grass. dead leaves and tree
dust which he has collected to make his
warm and coy quarters.
Warm air is a poor conductor or neat
For this reason loose clothing is warmer
than tight. The warm air between II and
the skin prevents the heat Of the BODY
from escaping rapidly. Birds and other
animals take advantage of this law OF
nature. A sparrow in the crev!ce OF a
wall is not only warming his feet against
the sunny stone, but he is pretty sure TO
have his feathers SO '.hufed" up that he
seems to be much bigger than natural.
because he is letting the air under his
feathers get warm to protect his body