HISTORY OF 



she continues to lay, vainly hoping to increase the 

 number. In the wild state, the hen seldom lays 

 above fifteen eggs ; but then her provision is more 

 difficultly obtained, and she is perhaps sensible 

 of the difficutly of maintaining too numerous a 

 family. 



When the hen begins to sit, nothing can ex- 

 ceed her perseverance and patience ; she conti- 

 nues for some days immoveable, and when forced 

 away by the importunities of hunger, she quickly 

 returns. Sometimes also her eggs become too 

 hot for her to bear, especially if she be furnished 

 with too warm a nest within doors, for then she 

 is obliged to leave them to cool a little : thus the 

 warmth of the nest only retards incubation, and 

 often puts the brood a day or two back in the 

 shell. While the hen sits, she carefully turns her 

 eggs, and even removes them to different situa- 

 tions ; till at length, in about three weeks, the 

 young brood begin to give signs of a desire to 

 burst their confinement. When by the repeated 

 efforts of their bill, which serves like a pioneer on. 

 this occasion, they have broke themselves a pas- 

 sage through the shell, the hen still continues to 

 sit till all are excluded. The strongest and best 

 chickens generally are the first candidates for 

 liberty ; the weakest come behind, and some 

 even die in the shell. When all are produced, 

 she then leads them forth to provide for them- 

 selves. Her affection and her pride seem then 

 to alter her very nature, and correct her imper- 

 fections. No longer voracious or cowardly, she 

 abstains from all food that her young can swallow, 



