they are sometimes taken up in fishing-nets, suffocated by being forcibly kept under water.
These fish, when young, afford a platable dish: they were formerly considered a great delicacy; but are now little valued, except for the oil, which they yield in common with other cetaceous fish.
DOOR, in architecture, is a contrivance for securing an aperture in a wall, to admit persons to enter and leave a house or apartment.
The proportions of doors are, in general, regulated by those of the human frame. In capacious buildings, they ought always to be larger than in small ones; but they should in none be less than 612 feet high, so as to allow a tall person to pass through it erect: the width must not be less than 3 feet.
Architects give the following dimensions for doors: in small edifices, their breadth ought to be 4 or 412 feet; in those of a middle size, 5 or 6; in large buildings 7 or 8: in chambers of the first description, 312, 334, or 4 feet; of the second, 4 or 412 feet; and of the third, 5 or 6; in churches, 7 or 8; and in gates, 9, 10, or 12:—by these proportions the height of doors may be easily determined; excepting those designed for the gates of cities, which should be only four-fifths of their breadth.
Dove: See Pigeon.
Dove-cote: See Pigeon-house.
DOUGH, is flour fermented with yeast, or leaven, and kneaded into paste.
In some parts of this country, the dough is made by the hand, but in the more populous towns and cities, the process is generally performed with the naked feet; a practice which deserves severe censure, as it may be easily avoided by the introduction of a certain machine, employed for the same purpose in the public baking-houses of Genoa. The object of this machine is, to convert a large quantity of flour into dough, and to knead it as completely as may be necessary, with a considerable saving of time and labour.
The machine consists of a frame or wall of wood, 14 palms (about 312 English feet) high, that supports an axis, 30 palms (712 feet) long, and 113 palm (4 inches) thick; to which is joined a large wheel. In this wheel are steps, on which the men tread, turn it with great velocity, and thus impart motion to a cog-wheel that is fixed almost at the extremity of the axis, and acts upon various small pieces of machinery, or beaters, which communicate with a strong wooden tub, well hooped with ron. This tub will contain 18 rubbi of flour, which is carried to it in barrels, and mixed with leaven. As soon as the whole is tempered with a proper quantity of warm water, the wheel is turned round, by which the dough is expeditiously and completely kneaded. In general, a quarter of an hour is sufficient to make very good dough; but an experienced baker, who superintends the operation, determines whether it is to be continued for a few minutes, more or less, according to circumstances.
Those who think with us, that kneading the dough with naked feet, is a disgusting custom, and ought, without hesitation, to be abolished, will find a more copious description of the Italian machinery above mentioned, as well as a plate representing the whole apparatus,
