BADCHING TEE eerICkKS 69 
When the eighteenth day closes, cooling and 
turning of the eggs should cease, for the chicks are 
almost ready to hatch. In very dry climates, the 
eggs may then be sprinkled with water at a tempera- 
ture of 103. Much might be written about the 
moisture question, but experts differ and the safest 
plan is to follow implicitly the directions which 
come with the machine. 
On the seventh day the eggs may be tested, and 
it is well to perform this operation again on the 
fifteenth day. ‘The test is made by placing the eggs 
between the eye and a strong light and excluding 
all other light. In practice, a tester which fits over 
a lamp chimney and allows light to come only 
through an opening at one side is the easiest to 
handle, as both hands are left free. When an egg 
is placed tightly against the frame around the open- 
ing, the contents will be illuminated. If the egg is 
infertile, it will be entirely clear; if there is a chick 
in it, an opaque spot will indicate its presence. On 
the seventh day this spot will be small and lines will 
radiate in all directions. These lines are blood ves- 
sels running out from the heart. On the fifteenth 
day the chick will be large enough to almost fill the 
shell, appearing as a dark mass. An egg containing 
