THE PIGEON BOOK 21 



(2) Shows a double-yolk egg with two germs. These 

 are very uncommon In the case of pigeons. 



(3) Shows the egg the tenth day of incubation. 



(4) The appearance of the egg on the sixteenth day. 



(5) The chipping stage of the egg when just ready to 

 open. 



(6) The shell after hatching. 



(7) The embryo ten days old, natural size, front and 

 side view. 



(8) The position of the pigeon in the egg on the seven- 

 teenth day of incubation ready to be born, (a) the beak, 

 (b) wing, (c) down, (d) part where egg breaks. 



In the case of the more delicate and highly-bred varieties 

 a much larger percentage of eggs do not hatch than is 

 the case with the more hardy varieties. Under diseases 

 I have dealt with several of the causes of youngsters dying 

 in the shell, eggs not hatching, &c. 



When on examination of the eggs a fancier finds that 

 one or both are unfertile, it is a mistake to force the birds 

 to lay again too quickly. This may only add to the 

 trouble. They should be allowed to sit for ten days at 

 least, and then separated for a week or two before they 

 are allowed to lay again. 



There is nothing more helpless than the newly-born 

 pigeon. It can simply sprawl in the nest-pan, lift its 

 head, and take the "pigeons' milk" its parents feed 

 it on. 



I say " pigeons' milk " ; but, as a matter of fact, this is 

 a farinaceous food that forms in the crop during incubation, 

 and is ready accumulated to feed the young ones upon 

 when hatching takes place. Some contend it does not 

 form unless life is felt in the shell, but my opinion is 



