THE EGG. 103 



sixth of its weight, being about the same proportion 

 as the total loss of weight of the egg by evaporation 

 during the time of incubation. 



The yolk-sac is connected to the chick about half- 

 way down its small intestine, and as the action of the 

 bowels (which is always at work in every living animal, 

 forcing everything contained in them from the head to- 

 wards the anus) is at work previous to the chick leaving 

 the shell, as proved by the excrement which the chick 

 voids before leaving it, the yolk must be digested, and 

 nourishment drawn from it by the large intestines and 

 the lower half of the small one ; the liver, the stomach 

 with its gastric glands, and the gizzard not coming into 

 use until the bird swallows food through its mouth. So 

 that the popular fallacy of the bird being born with a 

 "yellow liver," having any connection with the yellow 

 yolk is disproved — first by the yolk, as we have seen, 

 not being yellow at this time, and secondly, that by no 

 possible reasoning can the yolk be supposed to enter 

 the liver. 



A certain class of philosophers, known as evolu- 

 tionists, have attempted to reduce the works of the 

 Great Creator to the action of two laws, viz., that of 

 the " survival of the fittest," and of " sexual selection." 

 That these two laws are in operation neither we nor any 

 one else who watches nature can deny, but that they 



