REARING. 47 



Or, with equal probability, the heat might be some- 

 times too great in the centre, and occasion instant 

 destruction to the nascent being in the shell. As 

 the chickens advance in growth, the covering of 

 flannel should be made lighter, and on the expecta- 

 tion of hatching, it must be reduced to a very thin 

 covering, that nothing may press upon the eggs to 

 impede the efforts of the chickens. We obtained 

 between thirty and forty chickens, from about forty- 

 five eggs, all in good health, two excepted, which 

 being weak, required assistance to be released, and 

 survived only a day or two. 



The brood placed in a basket of soft hay, and 

 covered with flannel, were committed to the same 

 chimney, the charcoal still burning. This was con- 

 tinued a day or two, and the degree of heat consider- 

 ably reduced, until feeding was required. Making 

 a noise with the finger nails against a board, upon 

 which the chicks were placed, in imitation of the 

 pecking of the hen mother, first taught them to 

 peck at their meat, and they from natural instinct, 

 followed the noise readily and eagerly. They were 

 soon taught to drink also, but with some difficulty 

 to prevent them, in their eagerness, from wetting 

 their feet and plumage. It should be here observed 

 that, we had set three hens on the same day we com- 

 menced the process by artificial heat, and one of 

 these producing a small number of chicks, we con- 

 trived to deceive, and make her foster-mother to a 

 part of those artificially hatched ; and, acting the 

 same part with the other two, we had few more than 

 twenty to bring up by hand. 



