Breeding. 55 



of soaking them in warm water, hold them in the 

 mouth for a few moments. The idea in each case is 

 the same, as is the effect — the softening of the inner 

 membrane of the egg. 



ASSISTANCE IN HATCHING. 



It occasionally happens that young birds chip the 

 egg, make the first indentation, and then for some 

 reason or other are unable to do more. This gener- 

 ally arises from weakness. When such happens a 

 little assistance is often attended with good results. 

 In fact, one friend of mine assisted twenty out of his 

 first thirty youngsters out of the shell during one 

 season. The young should hatch on the eighteenth 

 day following the day upon which the second egg was 

 laid. Thereiforc, on the eighteenth day, if an egg is 

 found to be chipped one may take it that things are 

 going on all right, but, if twenty-four hours after the 

 firs't littile puncture has made its appearance there is 

 no other break, the owner might try what he can do 

 to assist in the breaking of the shell. Generally 

 speaking, at the end of the period of incubation the 

 shell is very brittle, and there is not much difficulty 

 in cracking it. A thin, blunt piece of wood or a 

 toothpick .should be inserted in the small aperture 

 which the bird has made, and gently lifted upwards 

 and outwards roimd the top of egg at the line where 

 the body of the bird is h'ing. This operation must 

 be very carefully conducted, and only the most minute 

 portion of the shell broken at once. Any rough or 

 clumsy treatment will, nine times out of ten, mean 

 instant death to the young squab. Having broken 

 away a small portion of the shell, moisten the inner 

 portion by applying a little saliva from the tip of 

 your fore-finger. This will prevent injurjr to the 

 squab by the inner membrane being softened. Often 

 when this membrane is dry and adhering to the body 

 or head of the bird, to j^ttempt to remove it causes 

 the bird pain, and brings away not only the mem- 

 brane, but some of the down on the squab's head or 

 shoulders as well, and this is not at all desirable. 



