72 
BIRD-LIFE. 
the case of the common Fowl, the organs of the senses 
have reached their full developement; with other birds, 
nearly so. On this day the Chicken begins to breathe 
through the mouth, and, in proportion as the lungs 
increase their action, the allantois dries up. As the 
end of the period of incubation approaches, the yolk 
becomes wholly consumed and absorbed into the body. 
Our young citizen of the world, awakening to full life, 
now gradually breaks through the shell of the egg with 
the assistance of his beak, which is furnished with horny 
excrescence at the tip, expressly intended for this 
purpose, inhaling lustily deep draughts of the outer air: 
he stretches and extends himself, works away afresh, and 
bursts at last the shackling envelope to reach the light of 
day. At this instant we may say he is born again; for it 
is only from this date that he really makes his first 
entrance into life. 
Though the egress from the shell is fraught with 
importance to all birds, nevertheless, its consequence 
differs considerably in respect to individual species. But 
few birds arrive at that state of self-dependence, while in 
the egg, which will allow of their wandering alone and 
unaided, in the path suited for them, immediately after 
leaving the shell, under the guidance or tutelage of the 
parent couple or mother; by far the generality make their 
debut into the world in a very helpless condition. For a long 
time they require from the parents the tenderest devotion 
and most self-sacrificing care: they still have to go 
through another stage of developement, previously to 
finding themselves in a fit condition to range the wide 
world. It affords particular pleasure to the observer to 
follow Nature, governed and ruled, in all her wonderful 
ways; to watch the practical manner in which every 
