40 On the Egyptian system of Artificial Hatching. [Jan. 



To produce 274 millions of chickens without artificial heat, at least 

 two millions of productive hens would be required in the space of 

 four months ! 



The artificial mode of hatching does not oppose any obstacle to 

 the natural one, since a hen born by means of the oven, or under the 

 wings of the mother, at every season of the year can as well in Egypt 

 as in any other country cover and hatch its own eggs. 



One great inconvenience has been attributed to this method — it is 

 said that the fowl degenerates, and consequently its egg. 



This opinion originated in observing that the fowl of Egypt is ge- 

 nerally smaller than that of Europe. The fact is true ; but I can by no 

 means agree that it is the consequence of artificial hatching. It is to 

 be considered, 1st, That in Egypt several animals are of smaller size 

 than those of other countries. 2d, That the artificial hatching consist- 

 ing only in applying to the egg the same degree of heat that it 

 might receive under the hen, without changing any of the natural 

 operations, the number of days which it employs in vivifying it, &c. 

 there is no plausible reasons to suppose that the chicken does not 

 under this process attain its natural size. 3d, That there is in some 

 parts of Upper Egypt a large kind of fowl called bigany or dinderany, 

 and its eggs placed in the oven produce fowls equal in size to the 

 mother. 4th, and to me the most convincing argument of all — if the 

 action of fire could so reduce the fruit of the egg during its develop- 

 ment, other circumstances being the same, the same cause must continue 

 to operate every year, and small as this annual diminution may be 

 considered in the number of ages that this method has been practised, 

 (we find artificial egg hatching mentioned by Herodotus,) the fowl 

 of Egypt ought to be reduced by this time to the size of a fly 

 at least. Lastly, even admitting the hypothesis of degeneration, we 

 must admit that the decrement has operated in a very- slow and 

 imperceptible manner. This diminution being so inconsiderable, can 

 by no means neutralize the beneficial results of artificial hatching. 



The economy and benefit that this method is capable of diffusing 

 among those who practise it being sufficiently demonstrated, I wili pro- 

 ceed to give a circumstantial narrative of all the steps of the opera- 

 tion, as I have seen it practised in the ovens established in Ghisa, 

 a suburb of Cairo, situated upon the right shore of the Nile. 



The building is composed of a corridor with vaulted roof 40 feet 

 long and 5 broad (A B C D, fig. 1st) The vaulted roof has five small 

 apertures to give light. In the centre, to the right hand, there is a 

 door of 3J feet high and 2± broad (E, fig. 1st) ; this leads to another 

 corridor (F G II I ; fig. 1st) 48 feet long by 5 broad, also with vaulted 



