ARTIFICIAL HATCHING. 115 



bottoms of the eggs are thus kept cool, whilst the heat 

 is given from above to the top of the eggs — two things, 

 as our experience shows us, of the very first importance. 

 The other processes, viz., that of the heat from the slow 

 fire for the first ten clays and then the reduced heat, 

 and then the eggs moved to the upper chambers, where 

 the heat would be given equally all over, agree also 

 with our experience. We believe imitations of these 

 ovens have been tried in other countries and failed ; 

 probably from the greater variableness of the climate, 

 which we are assured is in Egypt during the incubating 

 season very steady, it never raining, and the days and 

 nights being of nearly the same temperature. Whether 

 their process is sufficiently accurate for them to succeed 

 in hatching Ostrich eggs is very doubtful. 



The Chinese are said to have hatched their ducks 

 artificially from time immemorial. The process is very 

 different to that of the Egyptians, and is described by the 

 Rev. J. D. Gray, in his work on '' China," as follows, 

 though it is exceedingly doubtful if any European ha>^ 

 had the chance of thoroughly investigating it : — 



" Throughout the empire there are institutions called Pao- 

 ap-chang, in which clucks' eggs are artificially hatched in large 

 quantities. The process of incubation as practised in such estab- 

 lishments is as follows : — A large quantity of rice husks, or 

 chaff, is placed above grates filled with hot charcoal embers 

 Wlien heated the chaff is placed in baskets, and the eggs are laid 

 l2 



