182 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



his beak. Having been convinced that such em- 

 pirical practices were useless, he put three capons 

 under the care of the woman who had the charge 

 of the poultry-yard at the Chateau de Vaujour; 

 and as she proceeded on a regular and rational 

 plan of tuition, put in force not for a single night or 

 day, but continued for several days in succession, 

 they came out of her school very well instructed in the 

 space often or twelve days. Her method was, neither 

 to pluck their feathers, to sting them with nettles, nor 

 to make them drunk. She kept them alone for a day 

 or two in pretty deep and rather narrow buckets dark- 

 ened by a covering of boards, taking them out two or 

 three times a day to feed. After making the capon in 

 this manner wearied of solitude, she placed with him 

 for companions two or three chickens somewhat ad- 

 vanced in growth, and gave them all their food in 

 common. If he ill used them, they were removed 

 for a day or more, and then others were put to him. 

 By such means, varied as circumstances indicate, the 

 capon will contract a habit of living amicably with two 

 or three chickens, and the number being increased by 

 degrees, he will at last begin to take pride in his flock, 

 so that it may be enlarged to any extent. Upon 

 receiving his liberty in these circumstances, he will sit 

 upon the chicks as a hen does, whenever they require 

 to be protected from cold, and will lead them to places 

 where they may find food, clucking like a hen to call 

 them together when they straggle. He will likewise 

 redouble his clucking when he finds such dainties as 

 a piece of bread or an earthworm, which he will divide 

 into several small portions to share it amongst them 

 all, and will seem delighted to see them eat heartily 

 of what he deprives himself of for their sake. After 

 the few first days of training a capon, during which 

 he may probably injure or kill two or three chickens, 



