MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 67 



The wisest plan is not to be too greedy. The number of 

 chickens hatched is often in inverse proportion to the number 

 of eggs set; I have known only five to be obtained from six- 

 teen. Hens will in general well cover from eleven to thirteen 

 eggs laid by themselves. A Bantam may be trusted with 

 about half-a-dozen eggs of a large breed, such as the Spanish. 

 A Hen of the largest size, as a Dorking, will successfully 

 hatch at the most five Goose's eggs. Iput if a Hen is really 

 determined to set, it is useless as well as cruel to attempt to 

 divert her from her object. The means usually prescribed are 

 such as no humane person would willingly put in practice. 

 If the season is too late or too early to give a hope of rearing 

 gallinaceous birds, the eggs of Ducks or Geese may always be 

 had; and the young may be brought up, with a little pains- 

 taking, at any time of the year. And if it be required to 

 retain the services of a Hen for expected valuable eggs, she 

 may be beguiled for a week or ten days with four or five old 

 addled ones till the choicer sort arrive. 



Three weeks is the period of incubation of the common 

 Hen.* Sometimes when she does not sit close for the first 

 day or two, or in early spring, it will be some hours longer; 

 more rarely in this climate, when the Hen is assiduous and 

 the weather is hot, the time will be a trifle shorter. The 

 growth of the chick in the egg has been so fully and so well 

 described by many writers, from Aristotle down to Reaumur, 

 that I need merely refer the reader to them. The observa- 

 tions of the latter particularly have appeared in almost every 

 compilation that has been published on the subject; and I 

 must think it better taste for common inquirers to betake 

 themselves to such sources of information, illustrated as they 



* I have, in -warm weather, had chicks at the end of the 18th day; 

 and a friend E. R. C. assures me that he had some to come out on 

 the 27th day. ED. 



