165 



shell than ever were hatched, the reason is the amazingly short- faced bird cannot reach 

 the shell with its beak, and perishes in the shell, if the judgment of the Fancier, does 

 not extricate it ; on the contrary, the bird that only comes out to be killed by a good 

 Fancier, ([ allude to the rough long-faced bird), sticks its beak through the shell, and 

 extricates itself, 



517. I neglected entering into my register the days eggs ought to be hatched, which 

 gave me trouble and loss. I will give you two instances, looking at eggs, I knew by 

 experience were near hatching, I discovered an egg with a hole in it, the bird alive, 

 strong, and hardy, I considered it was to all appearance time it was out of the shell, I 

 gentry dented the shell of the egg all round with my finger nail, it bled profusely, I 

 placed it back in the nest pan with the other egg, addled. At four o'clock next morning, 

 I looked to see if the young bird had extricated itself, the blood had caused the broken 

 shell to adhere closely, my opinion is, the parent birds had set heavily, as though the 

 bird and shell were jammed together, the bird apparently dead. T took it to the light, 

 the air caused the bird to open its mouth, I then extricated it from the shell, the bird 

 only lived a few hours. In this case I considered I was a little too fast. In the evening 

 looking at the eggs near hatching, placing some to my ear, I found one egg the young 

 one within making a sharp crackling noise, this egg not being sprung or chipped, I 

 could not perceive where the beak was, recollecting I condemned myself a few hours 

 before for being too fast, placed the egg back, at four o'clock next morning, again placing 

 the egg to my ear, all was quiet and remained so ever since. I then blamed myself for 

 being too slow. I would caution you against being too fast or too slow, my advice to 

 you is to "Eemeinber the Seventeenth " day from laying the last egg. 1 lost these two 

 birds from a little neglect, not having entered in the book the day on which the eggs 

 should have hatched, owing to my time being so "much occupied. Had. I known for 

 certain, in the first case, it was only the " sixteenth " day from laying the last egg, I 

 might have been more cautious how I dented the shell, in the second case, if I had 

 known it was the "eighteenth" day from the last egg, 1 would not have hesitated in 

 breaking off a small portion of the shell, where, to the best of my judgment, the beak 

 lies, to let in a little air. 



518. The idea struck me of communicating to you how many hours a bird will live in 

 the shell without being sprung, chipped, or a small hole made in the shell to let in air. 

 I am convinced it is not long, otherwise the bird will be suffocated in the shell ; a 

 bird may live comparatively speaking a considerable time in the shell, where the beak 

 has protruded through the shell and obtains air. 



519. The difiiculty you will encounter is when birds have set their full tune, viz. the 

 seventeenth day from the last egg, when you place it to your ear a sharp noise is heard, 

 in the shell, by the bird endeavouring to extricate itself, yet the egg is not sprung, or 

 the least rise to shew where the beak lies ; under these circumstance I would advise you 

 to put it back for an hour, in the hope it will become visible where the beak lies, when 

 you examine the egg again, if you can perceive the rise where the beak lies, pick off a 

 little of the shell on that part to let the young one have air. On the contrary, should 

 it so happen you cannot by any possibility discover where the beak is, placing the egg 

 to your ear, believe it does not make so brisk or sharp a noise as before, it is a certain 

 sign the bird is becoming more weak, its short beak cannot by any possibility reach to 

 puncture the shell, and that it will he dead in a short time, if it does not immediately 

 receive air ; under these circumstances the young Fancier must make a small hole, to 

 to the best of his judgment, where he supposes the beak lies. 



• • 



520. Of two evils— "A little too Fast, or a little too Slow," I should advise you to 

 choose the little too Fast ; remember, I said "little," the better to rivet it on your mmd, 

 would say "very little." The greater part of this trouble may be avoided by a little 

 care on the part of the Fancier, by recollecting the " seventeenth day," letting the 

 birds have warm nests, greatly assists in hatching the eggs ; with regard to the par- 

 ticularly short-faced birds, whose beaks cannot by any possibility reach the shell, it is 

 otherwise, no fault of the Fancier. He must pay great attention, by observing the eggs 

 that are hatching, endeavour to ascertain where the beak lies, when he is necessitated 

 to puncture a hole in the shell of an egg where the beak is not visible, he should use the 

 greatest caution. I particularly call your attention to paragraph 602. 



