102 ECCALEBEION.^ 



way, the eggs first placed in will, on the 

 twenty-first day, be for the most part hatch- 

 ed, so that we may obtain every day nearly 

 the same number of chickens. 



During the first days of hatching, the 

 small quantity of water contained within the 

 substance of the egg evaporates through 

 the pores of the shell. This is replaced by 

 a small quantity of air, which is necessary 

 to support the respiration of the chick ; but 

 as the atmosphere within the box is nearly 

 dry, so that the chick would either die, o r 

 suffer greatly for want of sufficient moisture 

 this is remedied by shallow vessels, z, z, i 

 containing water. 



When the chickens are hatched, they are 

 placed in the adjoining box, with a sheep- 

 skin with the wool on suspended over them, 

 and fed with pounded millet or rice. 



In a practical point of view, I am dispo- 

 sed to consider the whole thing more curi- 

 ous than useful. All the machines hitherto 

 invented fail in producing healthy chickens. 

 In Egypt, so highly favoured by its almost 

 perpetually unclouded sky, we have seen 



