$ ACTS OBSERVED IN HATCHING. 



143 



distant from the bottom, and the highest a few inches 

 lower than the upper edge. When the time had 

 elapsed in which my previous experiments had failed, 

 not one egg in this new oven was tainted, and at the 

 end of twenty days the gardener, who had taken care 

 of so many unsuccessful broods, came in the evening 

 to tell me, with the greatest possible emotion, what he 

 knew must be very pleasing news, namely, that one 

 of my eggs was chipped, and the chick could be 

 heard within endeavouring to chirp. This chicken 

 did not disappoint our hopes, having been hatched 

 next day, and it was even preceded by some others, 

 and followed by a great many more. From that time, 

 indeed, I began to see some hatched every day*." 



Hatching Eggs in dung. 



The problem with respect to heat generated by 

 fermentation was thus solved ; but M. Reaumur did 

 not stop here. The rector of St. Sulpice, anxious to 

 introduce the plan, applied to the naturalist for 

 instructions on the subject ; but, instead of recom- 

 mending dung-beds, M. Reaumur imagined he might 

 * L'Art de faire Ecclorre, Mem. ii. 



