136 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XI. 



against the front and back walls. These fires 

 are hghted twice a day : the first dies away about 

 midday ; and the second, lighted at 3 p.m., lasts 

 until 8 o'clock. In the oven, the eggs are placed 

 on mats strewed with bran, in two lines correspond- 

 ing to, and immediately below, the fires n h and 

 c di where they remain half a day. They are then 

 removed to a c and h d ; and others (from two heaps 

 in the centre) are arranged at « Z» and c </, in their 

 stead ; and so on, till all have taken their equal share 

 of the warmest positions ; to which each set re- 

 turns again and again, in regular succession, till the 

 expiration of six days. 



They are then held up, one by one, towards a 

 strong light ; and if the eggs appear clear, and of an 

 uniform colour, it is evident they have not succeed- 

 ed ; but if they show an opaque substance within, or 

 the appearance of different shades, the chickens 

 are already formed ; and they are returned to 

 the oven for four more days, their positions being 

 changed as before. At the expiration of the four 

 days they are removed to another oven, over which, 

 however, are no fires. Here they lie for five days 

 in one heap, the apertures {e^f) and the door (^) 

 being closed with tow to exclude the air j after 

 which they are placed separately about one or two 

 inches apart, over the whole surface of the mats, 

 which are sprinkled with a little bran. They are 

 at this time continually turned, and shifted from 

 one part of the mats to another, during six or 

 seven days, all air being carefully excluded ; and 

 are constantly examined by one of the rearers, who 



