4.8 OUR DOMESTIC FOWLS. 



Egypt no doubt contributes mucli to success ; 

 but in our variable climate, the Eccaleobion * 

 machine, invented by Mr. Bucknell, has been 

 found to answer most admirably. This ma- 

 chine resembles an oblong box nine feet in 

 length, three in breath, and three in height ; 

 it is placed on a table, and is warmed by 

 means of an internal apparatus capable of being 

 so regulated, that any degree of temperature 

 may be maintained, from that of the atmo- 

 sphere to that of 300 degrees of Fahrenheit. 

 It is capable of containing two thousand eggs. 

 Many thousand chickens have been matured 

 in the egg by this machine ; and could it be 

 brought into general use, considerable advan- 

 tage might result from its employment. Mr. 

 Bucknell, in his " Treatise on Artificial Incu- 

 bation," makes the following observations : — 

 " It must have struck even the most superficial 

 observer, that the extraordinary fecundity of 

 gallinaceous fowls is a wise and most benevo- 

 lent dispensation of nature, to provide more 

 abundantly food for man ; as in those tribes 

 of birds not suited to his table, the female 

 lays no more eggs than she can incubate.f 



* r.KKaXeo), (eccaleo) to call forth — Biof, (bios) life. 



t This is not quite correct : the pigeon, the partridge, the 



