CHAP. IV.] FAKMIXG FOR LADIES. 107 



lified than Nature to direct the creature's ope- 

 rations — officiously adopt the advice of old 

 Leonard Mascall, who says, " if the henne be 

 negligente to turne her egges, and doe not sitte 

 close or warme on them, it were goode some- 

 tymes, when she is gone abroade, gentlie to 

 turne them : " but she will herself turn them 

 when instinct tells her it is time to do so. The 

 least reflection will, indeed, show the folly of 

 interfering with her ; for all wild birds hatch 

 their young without any other care than their 

 own, and the domestic hen, though bred in 

 the poultry-yard, will, if not prevented, stray 

 away to some bush where she builds her nest 

 and hatches her brood, which she brings back 

 generally in better health than if attended by 

 a keeper. A striking instance of which is men- 

 tioned, in an essay which we have quoted, as 

 having occurred to the author — " a white hen, 

 belonging to whom, having stolen a nest, laid 

 sixteen eggs, and brought forth the whole 

 number of chickens, every one of which she 

 reared." Do not, therefore, meddle with her, 

 nor allow any one to disturb her : but, while 

 she is feeding, a look may be taken into 

 her nest, just to see that all her eggs are un- 



