186 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



large cribs into two by means of a transverse par- 

 tition, so as to separate the chickens of different 

 sizes. 



" They soon showed me," says Reaumur, " how 

 sensible they were of the advantage of my artificial 

 mother, by their delight in remaining' under it and 

 pressing it very close. When they had taken their 

 little meals they jumped and capered about, arid when 

 they began to be tired, they repaired to this mother, 

 going so deep into it that they were compelled to 

 squat, so that when the roof was turned up, I per- 

 ceived the impression of the backs of several chickens 

 upon the fur-lining. There is, indeed, no natural 

 mother that can be so good for the chickens as the 

 artificial one, and they are not long in discovering 

 this, instinct being a quick and sure director. 

 Chickens, direct from the hatching oven, from 

 twelve to twenty-four hours after their escape 

 from the shell, will begin to pick up arid swallow 

 small grains or crumbs of bread ; and, after having 

 eaten and walked about a little, they soon find 

 their way to the fleecy lodge, where they can rest 

 and warm themselves, remaining till hunger puts 

 them again in motion. They all betake themselves 

 to the artificial mother at night, and leave it exactly 

 at day-break, or when a lamp is brought into the 

 place, producing an artificial day-break, with which, 

 it is worthy of remark, old hens are not affected 

 but remain immoveable on their roosts*." 



A still more elegant and ingenious artificial mother 

 consists of a stove with an apartment round it for 

 the chickens, and a net-work over it, to prevent their 

 escape or their getting too near the stove. This 

 Reaumur found to be an excellent plan for keeping 



* Oiseaux Domestiques, as before. 



