DOMESTICATED ANIMALS 73 



and protector. When a member of his family has 

 retired to her nest and announces by her cackling 

 that she no longer has occasion to be alone, the 

 male cackles in response to let her know where to 

 find her family, which in the meantime would 

 often have drifted some distance away. I have no- 

 ticed that the male is more or less nervous and 

 anxious on these occasions ; and cackles generally 

 to members of his own family only, not to mem- 

 bers of neighboring families. 

 12. Miracles to Come. 



The most advanced breeds of the domestic 

 chicken have almost entirely lost the nest-hiding 

 instinct, which is so strong in their wild ancestors. 

 They have also extended their egg-laying to all 

 seasons of the year. The domestic fowl is a bird. 

 In the wild state it has the common practice of 

 wild birds of laying a nest of eggs in the spring 

 and hatching them, and then laying no more till 

 the next spring. But by selection breeds have 

 been developed in which egg-laying is continual. 



Cows have been induced to prolong the milk- 

 producing period in the same way. If we continue 

 to hatch eggs by artificial hens and to select for 

 breeding purposes those more intent on egg-lay- 

 ing, we may develop hens after awhile that will 

 lay continually the year around, and without any 

 inclination to set or cluck or hover over their 

 young. It would be possible also to develop cows 

 in which the milk-producing function were inde- 

 pendent of the act of becoming mothers. 



