THE COMMON FOWL. 51 



occupy too mucli space to transcribe : suffice it 

 to say, that he found a room situated over, 

 and receiving heat from, the bread-ovens of a 

 benevolent institution in Paris, the tempera- 

 ture of which was uniform, and easily regu- 

 lated, to answer admirably ; and there is no 

 doubt but that hatching-chambers might be 

 easily constructed on a similar principle. The 

 necessary temperature, to be maintained as 

 equally as possible, is about 96° of Fahren- 

 heit. It is by a nice management of the 

 temperature, and by that skill which arises 

 from long practice, that the Egyptians, who 

 profess the business, are so successful. There 

 are people residing at the village of Berme and 

 a few adjoining places in the Delta ; and 

 generation after generation they follow the 

 same business : they make a mystery of it, 

 and no one but these people are allowed to 

 practise it. There are in the different districts 

 of Egypt, about three hundred and eighty-six 

 egg-ovens, or mamals, each managed by a 

 Bermean, who is regularly licensed by the 

 aga of Berme, and pays ten crowns for his 

 certificate. Consequently, the number of ovens 

 and practitioners cannot be increased without 

 the approbation and licence of the aga. In 



