immediately below, communicating with the oven 

 through its ceiling. By this also the man 

 descends to observe the eggs ; but in the cold 

 season both are closed, and a lamp is kept 

 burning within ; another entrance at the front 

 part of the oven, or lower room, being then 

 used for the same purpose and shut immedi- 

 ately on his quitting it. By way of distinction I 

 call the vaulted (A) the upper room and the lower 

 one (B), the oven. In the former are two fires in 

 the troughs a b, and c d, which, based with earthen 

 slabs, three-quarters of an inch thick, reach from 

 one side to the other against the front and back 

 walls. These fires are lighted twice a day ; the 

 first dies away about midday, and the second, 

 lighted at 3 P.M., lasts until 8 o'clock. In the 

 oven the eggs are placed on mats strewn with 

 bran, in two lines corresponding to, and immedi- 

 ately below, the fires a b, and c d, where they re- 

 main half a day. They are then removed to a c, 

 and b d ; and others (from two heaps in centre), 

 are arranged at a b, and c d, in their stead, and so 

 on till all have taken their equal share of the warm- 

 est positions, to which each set returns again and 

 again, in regular succession, till the expiration of 

 six days. 



11 They are then held up, one by one, towards a 

 strong light ; and if the eggs appear clear, and of 

 an uniform color, it is evident they have not suc- 

 ceeded ; but if they show an opaque substance 

 within, or the appearance of different shades, the 

 chickens are already formed, and they are returned 

 10 



