154 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



THE EGYPTIAN MODE OF HATCHING EGGS. 



The Egyptians hatched eggs in ovens on an immense scale with great suc- 

 cess. Thousands of thousands of chickens were hatched in a season in this 

 way. REAUMUR succeeded in 



HATCHING CHICKENS IN WOODEN CASKS 



by surrounding them with fresh manure in a state of fermentation, and this 

 method, though not the most pleasant, is still employed in France with good 

 results. 



CANTELO was successful in supplying the heat from above in imitation of 

 the hen. The elaborate contrivance of MINASI was a very ingenious and 

 successful effort. It could hold two hundred eggs. The chickens were all 

 strong, healthy and vigorous, but the great drawback to these two methods 

 of CANTELO and MINASI was the expensiveness. 



GEYELIN'S INCUBATOR 



is one which we do not think very desirable at the present day ; still we give, 

 in this connection, a description of it, with illustrations, more for the purpose 



FIG. 1. 



FIG. 2. 



of showing the marked improvement made in these machines than for any 

 other reason. Figure 1 represents a perspective elevation of an artificial peri 

 for hatching ; figure 2, a transverse section of the same. The hatching appa- 

 ratus consists of separate parts : first, a glass-covered box ; second, a water 

 tank ; third, a floating vessel ; fourth, a gas or oil lamp. 



The glass-covered box is made of japanned tin ; it has a glass door through 

 which the light can be seen ; the bottom of this box is perforated in the cen- 

 ter for the admission of air to the lamp, and the other part is carpeted to 

 receive the chickens as they leave their shells. About twelve inches from 

 the bottom are four brackets, to receive the water tank ; the lid has a per- 

 forated border for the escape of the vitiated air and steam from the water. 

 The sides are provided with handles for carrying the box from one place to 

 another, and it stands on four knobs to allow a free passage of air under- 



