42 THE WAY LIFE BEGINS 



faster than at any later period of its life. Nor is our astonish- 

 ment lessened when we see the rapidity with which the damp, 

 newly-hatched chick adjusts himself to the world. All he 

 has to do after birth is to grow into chickenhood which he 

 rapidly proceeds to do within a year. 



Six Chapters in the Life Story of the Chick 



There are several important things to observe in the life 

 of the chick. We should note the parts or structure of the 

 egg itself; where the yolk, the essential part of the egg, comes 

 from ; how the egg acquires its coating of albumin and shell ; 

 how the egg is fertilized and made ready to build the chick; 

 the way the body of the chick takes form upon the yolk; and 

 when the chick finishes its growth, and how it breaks the shell. 



The Four Parts of the Hens Egg 



These are ist, the shell; 2nd, the albumen (or white); 

 3rd, the yolk; and 4th, the germ. The first three parts of the 

 egg are familiar to everyone, and the germ, which lies upon 

 the upper surface of the yolk, moving to this position when- 

 ever the egg is turned, may be seen if the egg is carefully 

 broken in a dish. 



The Source of the Real Egg 



The germ and the surrounding yolk, the real egg, which 

 together form one big cell, one of the largest in the plant and 

 animal kingdoms, comes from the ovary. The ovary is 

 attached to the back body wall of the bird above the kidneys. 

 It contains thousands of immature ova or eggs in various 

 stages of growth, most of which are never used. For a definite 

 period in the year, groups of the ova acquire much food 

 material, or yolk, and, when they are fully matured, break 

 through the membrane of the ovary, one at a time, and are 

 drawn into the expanded, cup-like end of the oviduct or 

 tube leading from the ovary to the outside. 



The Egg Shell a Discovery in Protective Envelops 



The ova move slowly down the oviduct, perhaps several 

 of them at a time, but each keeping in a different place in 



