Hatching with Incubators 131 



surface. If they are absent or inactive, the egg 

 will be sterile, and will not hatch. The germinal 

 spot will remain unchanged, and be almost invisible 

 in the yolk of the complete egg. 



The growth of the germ begins almost as soon as 

 the meeting takes place, and continues as long as the 

 egg is in the body of the hen, or in a temperature of 

 about one hundred and three degrees. It does 

 not stop entirely when the egg is laid unless the ( 

 weather is cold, but continues developing. In hot 

 weather this germ dies, after growing for some days, 

 and the egg is spoiled. This is why sterile eggs, 

 where no rooster is kept, stay in good condition 

 much longer than those with the Hving germ. 



As the yolk progresses downward, the albumen, 

 or white, gradually gathers about the yolk, and 

 the membrane forms around the albumen. This 

 membrane is found in two layers, and at the large 

 end of the egg a little space is left for air, between 

 these layers. As the liquid in the egg evaporates, 

 this cavity becomes larger, and an expert can 

 easily tell the condition of an egg from the size of 

 this air space. 



About half-way down the oviduct there is a 

 series of glands, and from these a fluid runs out to 



