346 DR JOHN DAVY S 



some of the white. Both showed an alkaline reaction, but the white the 

 strongest. The contents of No. 2 were similar. No. 3 was not examined. 



2. On the 26th of March thirteen eggs, which, when newly laid, had been 

 placed in lime water,— some in the last week of February, some a few days later, 

 but with less precaution than in the preceding trial, — were put under a hen. Of 

 these one only was hatched, and on the 17th of April. The chick was healthy ; 

 the rest all aborted. In five of them embryos were found more or less advanced ; 

 in the other four no traces of an embryo could be detected ; their contents varied 

 much in quality. Of one the yolk and white were distinct, each in its membrane, 

 and so little altered, that the yolk retained its natural acid reaction, as well as 

 the white its alkaline. The contents of the others were free from any marked 

 putridity. 



V. Of Eggs in the Ordinary Process of Incubation. 



For the sake of comparison, I shall now notice briefly the results obtained in 

 ordinary instances of incubation with eggs presumed to be impregnated, and 

 which had in no way been interfered with. 



1. On the 27th of June thirteen eggs were put under a hen. Of these six were 

 newly laid ; of the other seven, reckoning from the time of laying, 



No. 1 had been kept 36 days. 



2 ... 35 ., 



3 ... 34 ;, 



4 ... 33 „ 



No. 5 had been kept 31 days 



6 ... 29 ; 



7 ... 25 „ 



Of the six newly laid, three were hatched, three aborted. All three just swam 

 in water ; one, opened under water, afforded a little air, which was found to con- 

 sist of 20*6 oxygen, 794 azote. Each of them contained a well-advanced fetus. 



Of the seven, the numbers of which have been given according to the time of 

 keeping or age, all but the first three were hatched, giving birth to healthy 

 chickens. Of the unproductive three neither contained an embryo, or showed any 

 signs of development. 



No. 1 contained a pale, thick, yellowish matter ; it had a smell like that of 

 sour milk ; had an acid reaction ; was of the consistence of soft curd, and had 

 much the same appearance. 



Of No. 2 the contents were liquid, with little viscidity ; of a richer yellow 

 than the preceding ; had an alkaline reaction, and was of the specific gravity 1032. 

 Distinct from the yellow liquid there was a small portion of glairy white. The 

 contents of No. 3 showed no well-marked difference. 



The hatching in this instance was unusually prolonged ; the first chick 

 appeared in the night of the 16th, the last of the seven in the night of the 18th. 

 After that the hen deserted her nest, and may have been the occasion of the death 

 of the advanced foetuses ; neither of them showed any signs of putridity. 



