Artificial Mothers. 61 



to assist it out of the shell, take it out gently with your 

 fingers, taking great care not to tear any of its tender 

 skin, when freeing the feathers from the shell. 



Mr. Wright says : " We never ourselves now attempt to 

 assist a chick from the shell. If the eggs were fresh, and 

 proper care has been taken to preserve moisture during 

 incubation, no assistance is ever needed. To fuss about 

 the nest frets the hen exceedingly ; and we have always 

 found that, even where the poor little creature survived at 

 the time, it never lived to maturity. Should the reader 

 attempt such assistance, in cases where an egg has been long 

 chipped, and no further progress made, let the shell be 

 cracked gently all round, without tearing the inside mem- 

 brane ; if that be perforated, the viscid fluid inside dries 

 and glues the chick to the shell. Should this happen, or 

 should both shell and membrane be perforated at first, 

 introduce the point of a pair of scissors and cut up the egg 

 towards the large end, where there will be an empty space, 

 remembering that, if blood flows, all hope is at end. Then 

 put the chick back under the hen; she will probably 

 squeeze it to death, it is true it is so very weak ; but 

 it will never live if put by the fire, at least we always found 

 it so. Indeed, as we have said, we consider it quite 

 useless to make the attempt at all." 



The fact is, it is scarcely worth while to attempt to assist 

 in the case of ordinary eggs, but if the breed is valuable 

 the labour may be well bestowed. 



Some hens are reluctant to give up sitting, and will 

 hatch a second brood with evident pleasure ; but it is cruel 

 to overtask their strength and patience, and they are 

 sure to suffer, more or less, from the unnatural exertion. 



Some breeders use a contrivance called an " artificial 

 mother" for broods hatched under the hen, and it may be 

 employed very advantageously when any accident has hap- 

 pened to her. It is made in various forms, such as a wooden 

 frame, or shallow box, open at both ends, and sloping like 

 a writing-desk, with a perforated lid lined with sheep 

 or lamb's skin, goose-down, or some similar warm fleecy 

 material hanging down, under and between which the 



