Our Misfortunes. 121 



CHAPTER XVII. 



OUR MISFORTUNES. 



ilHOUGH one of our cocks had turned out a 

 hen, and for the time disconcerted our plans, 

 there was not a great deal the matter, seeing 

 that we had now two nests full of eggs where we only 

 expected to have had one. After all, we thought, we 

 should have the hest of the bargain, and already began 

 to calculate our chickens, as usual, before they were 

 hatched. In due time, however, this important pre- 

 liminary to our success was brought about. Little 

 Brilliant hatched two fine, strong, healthy-looking birds, 

 whilst little Blanche had three equally promising. For 

 a while they throve and increased; but just as they 

 got well covered with pin-feathers all of a sudden they 

 seemed to stop in their growth, becoming pale in hue 

 instead of the red flesh colour which young birds in 

 vigorous health always are, languished a day or two, 

 and finally died. At first, we could not at all account 

 for this singular retrograde movement, seeing that they 

 were well supplied with excellent food, such as boiled 

 eo-g chopped up very fine, and bread soaked in milk, 

 besides the regular food for the old ones. On examina- 

 tion, however, which was further borne out by obser- 

 vation, we concluded that they really died of starvation, 

 for they had nothing in their crops, and there could be 



