260 THE LIFE OF A BIRD. 



Nevertheless, the loss of chickens was far too 

 large by this method to make it one of successful 

 adoption in many places ; and experimental trials, 

 by various naturalists and others, have succeeded 

 indeed in demonstrating the fact, that artificial in- 

 cubation is possible, but they have failed to show it 

 to be economical also. The zealous Reaumur, to 

 whom natural history is so deeply indebted, pur- 

 sued the most laborious series of experiments upon 

 this subject, in the prosecution of which he almost 

 lost the wonderful patience with which he was 

 possessed. The results of his experience were 

 published in a volume called Art defaire Eclorre, 

 published at Paris in 1749. For a considerable 

 period he experimented with the heat of ferment- 

 ing vegetable matters. His ingenuity in the 

 various contrivances he adopted to render success 

 the more certain is highly amusing, and is abun- 

 dantly illustrated by engravings, which have been 

 more than once copied into English works. Ulti- 

 mately he was, to a certain extent, successful ; and 

 he describes in lively terms the emotion of his 

 gardener and his son on being informed that the 

 first chick had made its appearance ; after which 

 many others were hatched. In some of his expe- 



