110 THE DOMESTIC FOWL. 



The fracture is continued around the top of the egg, 

 which then opens like a lid, and the little bird struggles 

 into daylight. The tapping which is heard, and which 

 opens the prison doors, is caused by the bill of the in- 

 cluded chick ; the mother has nothing to do with its 

 liberation, beyond casting the empty shells out of the 

 nest. At the tip of the bill of every new-hatched chick, 

 on the upper surface, a whitish scale will be observed, 

 about the size of a pin's head, but much harder than the 

 bill itself. Had the beak been tipped with iron to force 

 the shell open, it would not have been a stronger proof 

 of Creative Design than is this minute speck, which acts 

 as so necessary an instrument. In a few days after 

 birth, when it is no longer wanted, this scale disappears ; 

 not by falling off, which would be a waste of valuable 

 material, but by being- absorbed and becoming service- 

 able in strengthening the bony structure, minute as the 

 portion of earthy substance is. And yet some people 

 direct, that as soon as the chick is hatched, this scale 

 should be forced off with the finger nail, because it is in- 

 jurious ! 



All chicks do not get out so easily, but may require 

 a little assistance. The difficulty is, to know when to 

 give it. They often succeed in making the first breach, 

 but appear unable to batter down their dungeon walls 

 any further. A rash attempt to help them by break- 

 ing the shell, particularly in a downward direction 

 towards the smaller end, is often followed by a loss of 

 blood, which can ill be spared. It is better to wait 

 awhile and not interfere with any of them, till it is 

 apparent that a part of the brood has been hatched 

 some time, say twelve hours, and that the rest cannot 

 succeed in making their appearance. After such wise 

 delay, it will generally be found that the whole fluid 

 contents of the egg, yolk and all, are taken up into 

 the body of the chick, and that weakness alone has 

 prevented its forcing itself out. The causes of such 

 weakness" are various ; sometimes insufficient warmth, 

 from, the hen having sat on too many eggs ; sometimes 

 the original feebleness of the vital spark included in 



