230 THE POULTRY-BOOK. 



wings, bristles up her feathers, searches everywhere for eggs 

 to sit upon ; and, if she finds any, whether laid by herself or 

 others, she immediately seats herself upon them. 



These signs of an inclination to sit ought generally to be 

 indulged in all hens ; but those are best adapted for sitting 

 which have rather short legs, a broad body, large wings, well 

 furnished with feathers, and their nails and spurs not too long 

 nor sharp. 



The sitting hen will sometimes exhibit impatience at her 

 close confinement, and want to get frequently off the nest. 

 When this is observed, M. Parmentier directs one half of the 

 food that usually forms her meal to be withheld ; and, when 

 she has only had half of her due allowance, to replace her on 

 the nest, and hold out to her in the hand some hemp or millet 

 seed. This second meal has the effect of reconciling her to sit 

 constantly, without deserting her eggs. 



With the same view, others put food and water so near the 

 nest that the sitting hen may feed without leaving her eggs for 

 any great length of time. But Sketchley well remarks, that 

 this is not so conducive to health as the more natural method 

 of letting her come off to enjoy good water and food at some 

 little distance ; and M. Parmentier says, it is important that 

 sitting hens should have a little exercise, as well as that the 

 eggs should be exposed to the circulation of air, to carry off 

 any stagnant vapor, which was proved by M. Reaumur's 

 experiments to be so deleterious and destructive to the chicks 

 still in the egg. We have ourselves remarked, that sitting 

 hens are as fond of rubbing themselves in the dust as they are 

 of food and water ; and we have always indulged them, evi- 

 dently with benefit, in this habit. Dickson. 



Other hens will sit so closely and long, that they are in dan- 

 ger of starving themselves for want of food. Mr. Lawrence 

 says, he has had hens of this kind faint outright, as if dead ; 



