Emerging from the Shell. 59 



and I have opened many eggs much fractured, in each of 

 which the chick had as yet much of the yolk not absorbed. 

 Some chicks have greater obstacles to overcome than 

 others, since all shells are not of an equal thickness nor of 

 an equal consistence ; and the same inequality takes place 

 in the lining membrane, and offers still greater difficulty to 

 the emergent chick. The shells of the eggs of birds of 

 various species are of a thickness proportionate to the 

 streno^th of the chick that is oblio^ed to break through 

 them. The canary-bird would never be able to break the 

 shell it is enclosed in if that were as thick as the egg of 

 a barndoor fowl. The chick of a barndoor fowl, again, 

 would in vain try to break its shell if it were as thick and 

 hard as that of an ostrich ; indeed, though an ostrich ready 

 to be hatched is perhaps thrice as large as the common 

 chick, it is not easy to conceive how the force of its bill 

 can be strono^ enoug^h to break a shell thicker than a china 

 cup, and the smoothness and gloss of which indicate that 

 it is nearly as hard— sufficiently so to form, as may be 

 often seen, a firm drinking-cup. It is the practice in some 

 countries to dip the eggs into warm water at the time they 

 are expected to chip, on the supposition that the shell is 

 thereby rendered more fragile, and the labour of the chick 

 lightened. But, though the water should soften it, upon 

 drying in the air it would become as hard as at first. 

 When the chick is entirely or almost out of the shell, it 

 draws its head from under its wing, where it had hitherto 

 been placed, stretches out its neck, directing it forwards, 

 but for several minutes is unable to raise it. On seeing 

 for the first time a chick in this condition, we are led to 

 infer that its strength is exhausted, and that it is ready to 

 expire ; but in most cases it recruits rapidly, its organs 

 acquire strength, and in a very short time it appears quite 

 another creature. After having dragged itself on its legs 

 a little while, it becomes capable of standing on them, and 

 of lifting up its neck and bending it in various directions, 

 and at length of holding up its head. At this period the 

 feathers are merely fine down, but, as they are wet with 

 the fluid of the egg, the chick appears almost naked. 



