134 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XI. 



with their own hands bring the eggs to maturity; 

 and the young chickens thus produced are not in- 

 ferior in any respect to those hatched by natural 

 means."* 



This artificial contrivance has been handed down 

 to the present day, and continues to be employed 

 by the modern inhabitants of Egypt, particularly 

 the Copts, who may be considered to have the 

 best claim to the title of descendants of the ancient 

 Egyptians. I have given an account of it in a 

 former work t ; but as it has now an increased in- 

 terest from being again introduced into England, 

 T shall insert it here in connection with the pastors 

 and poulterers of ancient Egypt. 



The custom is for the pro})rietors of tlie ovens 

 to make the round of the villages in the vicinity, 

 to collect the eggs from the peasants, and to give 

 them in charge to the rearers, who, without any 

 previous examination, place all they receive on 

 mats strewed with bran, in a room about 11 feet 

 square, with a flat roof, and about 4 feet in height, 

 over which is another chamber of the same size, 

 with a vaulted roof, and about 9 feet high ; a 

 small aperture in the centre of the vault (at/") 

 admitting light during the warm weather, and 

 another (e) of larger diameter, immediately below, 

 communicating with the oven, through whose ceil- 

 ing it is pierced. By this also the man descends 

 to observe the eggs : but in the cold season both 

 are closed, and a lamp is kept burning within; 



* Conf. Plin. X. 54. 



t Egypt and Thebes, p. 24-G. 



