Marking and Testing Eggs. 115 



days turn out to be the finest and healthiest birds. There is 

 some care required in marking the dates and number of eggs 

 set in each nest for hatching, as by a little forethought in 

 this respect great advantages may be obtained by saving 

 time and retaining the services of the sitting hen. Over 

 each nest the date should be distinctly pencilled, thus ^^^^ 

 which means fourteen eggs were set on April 16, 1906. 

 About the ninth day the eggs should be examined, and all 

 those which appear perfectly clear, as when first set, should 

 be laid on one side as useless for hatching, but as perfectly 

 good for feeding the poults." 



This examination of the eggs after they have been sat 

 on for a few days is very desirable, as those that are 

 unfertilised may be removed, when they serve as food for 

 the poults, and leave more room for such as contain live 

 birds. 



Many instruments dignified by the title of oviscopes and 

 egg-testers have been devised for this purpose, some with 

 lenses, others with reflectors, etc. I have tried the whole of 

 them, and do not find them superior to the following simple 

 contrivance, the description and engraving of which is 

 reproduced from my work on " Table and Market Poultry " : 



" The most simple egg-tester is made out of a piece of 

 cardboard ; the cover of an old book answers very well. An 

 oval hole should be cut in it, not quite large enough to allow 

 an egg to pass through, and if the cardboard is white, one 

 side should be inked or painted black. The eggs are more 

 conveniently removed from the hen at night, or if in day 

 they should be taken into a room from which dayhght is 

 excluded. A single lamp only should be used. The card- 

 board, with the darkened side towards the observer, should 

 be held near the chimney of the lamp, and the eggs, one after 

 another, should be held against the hole. Those that contain 

 chickens will be observed to be quite dark and opaque, except 

 at the larger end, where the air-space exists. These should 

 be replaced under the hen. Those that have not been 



