348 THE BEGINNER IN POULTRY 



but disappointment came of it. The birds did not mate 

 or nest at all freely, and the prospects of many additions 

 to the some thirty breeding quail earlier procured from 

 various points seemed distant or wanting. After possibly 

 two months, the plan of segregating some of the breeders 

 in pairs was tried. . Nesting began almost at once, lay- 

 ing followed in eight days, and hopes were again high. 

 The rest were paired in the latter part of June, and in 

 August all were reported by Mr. Job as having laid 

 some four hundred eggs. 



The first eggs to be placed under incubation had evi- 

 dently been looked upon by Connecticut's patron witch 

 one with a very evil eye. Their age was "various," known 

 only to be too great for good hatching. Knowledge in 

 handling them in the machine was at a low stage, and 

 the hatch, while pretty fair, was not one to shout aloud 

 over. With all care, a perfectly new brooder was 

 appropriated to the quail. Almost before hope could 

 plume herself, the " reliable " new brooder played false. 

 It carried a paraffin tank as part of its panoply, an 

 arrangement supposed to insure mild, evenly distributed 

 heat. The unfortunate working of it proved it to be, 

 rather, evenly distributed paraffin, this distribution being 

 largely on the tiny quail ! The manufacturer had over- 

 filled the tank. The left-overs were seven. 



I saw the seven, in their roomy brooder, contentedly 

 eating posset and maggots, and custard, and all the 

 substitutes for ice cream which appeal to pampered 

 quail which yet must not be pampered to death. They 

 seemed rather likely to prove a credit to their assiduous 

 attendants. 



The next lot held the most hopes. When I saw them 



