HINTS TO COTTAGERS. 241 



long in discovering this, instinct being a quick and sure 

 director. Chickens, direct from the hatching oven, will 

 begin to pick up and swallow small crumbs of bread ; 

 and after having eaten, and walked about a little, they 

 soon find their way to the fleecy lodge, where they rest 

 and warm themselves, until hunger again tempts them 

 abroad. At night they all betake themselves to the 

 artificial mother, and leave it exactly at day-break, or 

 when a lamp is brought into the place producing an 

 artificial day-break." With the pardonable enthusiasm 

 of an inventor, Reaumur goes too far in saying that the 

 artificial is better than the natural mother ; but there 

 is no doubt whatever that his invention is a most 

 ingenious and valuable' one. 



This contrivance is adapted for turkeys, pheasants, 

 and other birds that do not go into the water, nor 

 require to be fed by hand. For water-birds Reaumur 

 contrived a pond, surrounded by turf, in the centre of 

 the crib or feeding place connected with one of the 

 artificial mothers. 



The marks of a chicken likely to become a good hen 

 are a small head, bright eyes, a tapering neck, full 

 breast, straight back, plump oval body, and grey legs. 

 A few such birds in the possession of cottagers would 

 be a great addition to their comfort. We conclude our 

 notice of these birds with the following useful hints 

 gained from the Cottager's Manual : " Every man who 

 keeps a pig should keep fowls. Three or four hens and 

 a cock will prove no small addition to a poor man's 

 stock ; and a few potatoes and peelings, with the run 

 of the pig's trough, which they will always keep clean, 

 will be all they require in the summer ; but to make 

 them lay eggs when eggs are valuable, they must be 

 well fed with oats, barley-meal, or Indian corn ; have 

 a dry place to roost in, and to shelter them from wet 

 weather, and be kept quite clean. In the depth of 

 winter, geese and other poultry must be fed, as they 

 cannot obtain much out of doors : and if suffered to get 



B 



