60 BRITISH BIRDS. 



practice, that she used to fly to a large stone in the mid- 

 dle of the pond, and watch them as they swam about, 

 patiently and quietly. More remarkably still, she hatch- 

 ed her own eg-gs the fourth year, and as her chickens 

 did not take the water, she flew to the stone in the 

 pond, and eagerly called them to her. 



An ingenious machine for accomplishing the process 

 of incubation, has been exhibited for some time past in 

 Pall MalL It forms, apparently, an oblong square, 

 wooden box, about nine feet long, three in breadth, and 

 three feet and a half in height, covered, excepting the 

 doors, with cloth. It stands on a table, is unconnected 

 with the walls against which it is placed, and is divided 

 into eight compartments, exposed to view by the doors 

 being glazed. Here the eggs are spread promiscuously 

 on the floor, and appear without any covering. Inclosed 

 in the machine is its active and regulating power. 



It is capable of containing more than two thousand 

 eggs, the heat being merely adjusted, because the tem- 

 perature suited to them during the last week of the pro- 

 cess is not sufficient for the eggs when fresh ; while 

 that which is necessary to call forth life in the latter, 

 would destroy it in the former. With due care the 

 average will exceed one hundred hatched daily, or about 

 forty thousand per annum. The birds thus produced are 



