574 



GALLINIDjE, 



The point which indicates the germ in the egg, is 

 very properly termed the cicatricula, " the little 

 union," for the real germ is then so small, that it doe 

 little more than indicate that there is in the egg, the 

 union of a rudiment of life to be nourished, and a 

 nourishing apparatus to bring it forward. There i 

 thus some resemblance between the contents of the 

 egg and those of the internal uterus of a viviparous 

 animal when gravid. The living part is foetal, and 

 the nourishing part is placental, in the one case as well 

 as in the other ; and there is the same double mem- 

 branes, the same mysterious confine which both unites 

 and separates, in the one case as in the other : and 

 when pulsation begins, it is not the same in the vessels 

 of the placenta and those of the chicken, any more 

 than it is in the case of an uterine mother. This is 

 the nice point, and could we see the first throb of ele- 

 mentary action here, one of the most marvellous 

 of nature's secrets would be in our possession. But 

 here there is a veil, behind which it is not given to 

 mortal eyes to look. " Is the first impulse given by 

 the placenta to the embryo, or by the embryo to the 

 placenta ?" This is the grand question, but we cannot 

 answer it. 



The case of the egg is far more wonderful than 

 that of the living mother in placental connexion (or 

 must we limit the expression to juxtaposition ?) The 

 egg may be carried to a long distance ; it may be 

 hatched in an oven, under another animal, by any 

 heat indeed ; and there is a tolerably well authenti- 

 cated story of a tailor, who hatched the egg of a 

 goose under him on his shop-board, and thus was in 

 possession of " a tailor's goose that could fly ;" and 

 the especial wonder is, that the mother should be able 

 to deposit the faculty of maturity in the egg along 

 with the germ of the chicken. Truly this same egg 

 is a wonderful thing ; there is more in it than in all 

 the products of wisdom and skill which man ever 

 made, or ever can make. But we cannot afford to 

 dwell upon it even in contemplation. The reader 

 may and should. 



At the end of about twelve hours after the incuba- 

 tion commence?, the cicatricula begins to act, slowly 

 to appearance at first, but more rapidly afterwards, 

 though the first start is the grand point in the pro- 

 gress. After there is an action begun, we can con- 

 ceive how it may go on, because the elapsed time, 

 however short, gives us a judgment of experience 

 upon which to anticipate the future ; but a beginning 

 is a mighty mystery. 



The parts develope in succession, some earlier than 

 others, but they are at first all apparently formed of 

 gelatine, though the predominating matter in the egg 

 itself is albumen. The progress of growth is so slow 

 and gradual, that it is not in itself an object of obser- 

 vation ; indeed, growth is thus far like life, that we 

 can see it only in its effects. The vertebral portion 

 of the chicken is the first that we can trace, which we 

 can do in that which is to be the head, and also the 

 spine, even on the first day of action ; and this is a 

 direct proof that vertebrated animals are really, in the 

 order of time, organised upon the spine, which points 

 strongly to the brain, and its continuation in the first 

 predial of the action of young life, though we are 

 unable to regard the point as altogether settled. On 

 the second day the vertebrae show rudimental exist- 

 ence, and about the same time the heart, as the centre 

 of the vascular system, begins to be formed, clearly 

 proving that that system is secondary and subordi- 



nate to that whose centre is the brain. The neck and 

 breast are formed on the third day ; and the eyes and 

 liver are formed on the fourth. The stomach and 

 veins are formed on the fifth day ; and the lungs and 

 skin on the sixth. On the seventh the bill and 

 intestines are formed ; and on the eighth the ven- 

 tricles of the heart and the gall bladder. On the 

 ninth the thighs and wings are formed, and on the 

 tenth the whole of the parts which constitute the. 

 chicken are in their places, and have already assumed 

 the form which characterises them. They are de- 

 veloped still more on the subsequent days, acquire 

 all the growth of which they are susceptible in this 

 state, and the chicken becomes sufficiently strong t< 

 break the shell, which takes place after the lapse of 

 three weeks. The principle of life introduced by the 

 act of the male into the egg already commenced in 

 the female ovary, most probably contributes to 

 organise it for the end which nature has purposed. 

 But immediately after this egg is laid the principle of 

 life slumbers in it, until awakened by the caloric 

 communicated by the sitting hen ; it. then in connec- 

 tion with this last agent, gives motion to the embryo 

 which it is commissioned to animate. It communi- 

 cates to it the faculty of increase, of employing in its 

 organisation and nutriment all the substances which 

 are enclosed with it in this isolated- matrix, which, 

 however, fulfils all the same functions as those of the 

 mammalia. The yolk of the egg then augments in 

 quantity at the expense of the albumen, the fluid part 

 of which it absorbs. It becomes a nutritious milk, 

 which is carried into the liver, elaborated there, and 

 finally passes into the circulation. To the nineteenth 

 day of the incubation, the yolk forms in the egg a 

 distinct body from the chicken shut up in a separate 

 capsule. The only communication which they have 

 together is by vessels which hold the place of the 

 umbilical cord ; but it is introduced altogether on the 

 nineteenth day into the abdomen, and so increases by 

 its presence the volume of the chicken, that there is 

 not sufficient room afterwards for it in the lymphatic 

 bag where it was. It then bursts and the pulmonary 

 organs come in contact with the air, which has 

 penetrated into the egg, to fill the space occasioned 

 there by evaporation. The chicken respires, whines, 

 its vital force acquires more energy, it moves, its 

 limbs are developed, its bill is brought into action, its 

 shell is broken, and it then issues forth. 



In all those places of Europe where the tempera- 

 ture is at all moderate, the common hen produces a 

 reat number of eggs in the course of the year ; but 

 always the more if properly attended to in propor- 

 tion as the climate is warm. In the extreme north, 

 is in the northern parts of Siberia, in the very ex- 

 :remity of Lapland, and in Greenland, and of course 

 n the very north of America, they do not breed ; but 

 jonsidering that they are originally from Judea, they 

 lave a remarkable range of climate. In order that 

 :he produce of a hen in eggs may be the greatest 

 possible, she should have abundance of wholesome 

 bod, but not be fattened beyond a certain extent, for 

 the eggs of over-fat hens are both few and imperfect. 

 The hen should be placed in a situation rather warm 

 and sheltered, have access to cold water and to 

 gravel, and be allowed plenty of exercise, but in no 

 case alarmed or driven when treated in this manner. 

 A hen of a good breed will furnish about two eggs 

 very three days, and if not allowed to sit, she will 

 continue with little intermission for ten months of the 



