HATCHING. 49 



IN HATCHING, 



Most persons prefer an odd number, the odd egg being placed in 

 the centre, and the rest round it say seven, nine, eleven, thirteen 

 according to the size of the hen, extent of her wings, and season 

 of the year. If the hen, after sitting, lay more eggs, they should 

 be immediately removed, as they will be too late for hatching ; and 

 if by accident or otherwise, she break any of the clutch, they 

 should be carefully cleared away, and her feathers examined and 

 cleansed, lest they adhere to, and destroy more of the eggs, or 

 give her an inclination to break, and, perhaps, devour them. The 

 clucking of the hen, which indicates a desire to sit, is too well 

 known to require any description. If your eggs are of a par- 

 ticularly fine kind, it may be desirable not to put them under the 

 hen, till you have satisfactorily found her to be a steady sitter, by 

 having some eggs, which you consider of no value, placed under 

 her, for a day or two. If any get cracked during incubation, a 

 small portion of paper, pasted on the cracked part, has been found 

 to be a perfect preservative. Experience has proved, that tiie 

 closer you imitate nature, the more certain you will be to succeed. 

 If a hen lay out, in a private place, she ia likely to produce a 

 chick from every egg. It is found that eggs set on the ground, 

 in a soft, sandy spot, with some short-cut, clean straw, in a quiet 

 situation, free from other poultry, succeed best ; the evaporation 

 from the ground, seems necessary to the hatching, for the want of 

 which, Mr. Cantelo recommends their being slightly damped with 

 a sponge, on the top only, about mid-day, daily. After the tenth 

 day the eggs should be closely inspected, and those that have not 

 germinated removed ; if any bad egg be discovered after this, it 

 should likewise be withdrawn. 



The following is an account of the progressive stages of the egg 

 of a hen, during incubation : 



On the third day, the embryo organization of the skull, brain, heart, and 

 blood is prcepetible, by the aid of a magnifying glass. 



Fourth day The pulsation of the heart is distinguishable by the naked 

 eye. 



Sixth day The chief vessels and organs rudimentally formed ; the pul- 

 sation and circulation of the blood apparent. 



Ninth day Intestines and veins formed, and the deposition of flesh 

 and bony substance commenced ; the beak, for the first time opens. 



Twelfth day The feathers have protruded ; the skull has become carti- 

 laginous ; and the first voluntary movement, of the chick, is made. 



