SHELTERING OF THE YOUNG. 183 



the task becomes easy ; and when once he is taught 

 he will retain the habit to the end of his life, nor ever 

 become tired of the task ; for even when unemployed 

 for several months during winter, he will take to it 

 again in spring nearly as well as before. 



Though capons probably make the best nurses, 

 it appears to be equally possible to instruct cocks in 

 the art of nursing. " I thought," says Reaumur, u I 

 had sent to school three capons, but one of them 

 proved to be a cock, though he came home as well 

 instructed as his two companions *." 



But in the case of artificial hatching by means of 

 ovens, it must frequently be found impossible to pro- 

 cure a sufficient number of nurses either of hens or 

 capons ; and in that case, in order to rear the 

 chickens successfully, artificial methods must be 

 continued. Were all the assiduities indeed of the 

 hen required, it would be next to impossible to find 

 an artificial substitute; but as her chief object is to 

 procure food and secure warmth, these with a little 

 attention may be supplied as well or even better by art 

 than by the most assiduous mother. Reaumur, in 

 the course of his interesting experiments, tried several 

 plans for the substitution of what he aptly denomi- 

 nates an artificial mother. By bringing the chickens 

 up in a hot-bed, indeed, it will be easy to make them 

 enjoy a perpetual summer, exempt from exposure to 

 rain or cold nights. They may even be advan- 

 tageously reared for the first fortnight or three weeks 

 in the oven where they have been hatched, taking 

 them out about five or six times a day for food and 

 water. This, however, is a more troublesome plan 

 than is necessary. Reaumur's statement of some 

 of the difficulties which he met with is so illustrative 

 of the subject that we shall quote the passage. 

 Oiseaux Domestiques. 



