The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-19
1nE HEv.
One Rearing n Peacock, and Another n Litter
Of Fcrrets.
eearas j nomone, N Nalne.

eeor0e j. Ronones IN Nature.
Three years ago gave a pea fowls egg
to a Rrahna hen to hatch. The hen was an old
one. and had previously reared many broods OF
ordinary chickens with unusual success even
for one Of her breed. In order TO hatch the pea
chick she had to cit one week longer than IA
requisite to hatch an ordinary chick; but in this
there IL nothing very unusual for, as Mr.. Spald.
ing observes. the same thing happens with every
The object with which l made this experiment
however, was that OF ascertaininR whether the
period OF material care subsequent to tncuba-
ton admits, under peculiar conditions, Of being
prolonged for pea chick requires such care for
very s %Seh longer time sepn does az oT
hen and her chickens always appears
TO be due to the former driving away
the latter when they are old enough to
SHIFT for themselves, scarcely expected the hen
In this case 10 prolune her period OF maternal
cause thought that II she did so the fact would
he the best one Imaginable to show in what n
high degree hereditar. instinct may be modified
by eculidr individual experiences. The result
was very surprising. For the enormous period
or eighteen months this old Brahma men re-
throughout the whole of that time she con-
tinucd to pay II unremitting attention. She
never laid any eggs during this heightened pc
Rod OF maternal SUPERVISION, aud " AT any time
she became accidentally separated from her
charge, the distress Of mother and chicken was
very great.
Eventually the separation seemed to take
place on the side Of the peacoek but II Is re-
markahle that. although the mother and chicken
got each other, IA usually appoars to be the case
with hens aud their chickens. 50 long as they
remained together the abnormal degree Of bride
which the mother showed In her wonderful
chicken was most ludicrOus; but l have no
space to enter into details. 1t may be stated,
however, that both tefOre and after the sci %
ton, the mother was in the habit of frequently
combing out the topknot Of her son-she
standing on her seat, or other eminence, Of
suitable height, and he bending his head
forward with evident satisfaction. This fact IL
parficuIarly noteworthy because the practice Of
ont hp q Agn liz
customary among pea hens. In conclusion.
NAV observe that the peacock reared bv this
than did any Of the brothers Of the same brood
which were reared by their own mother, but
that, on repeating the experiment the next year
with another Mahma hen and several pea
chickens, the result was different. for the hen
deserted her family at the same time when It ia
natur. for Ordinary hens 20 do So and IN conse-
quencc all the pea hens miserably persisted.
have just concluded another EXPERIMENT
which Is well worth recording. A bitch ferret
strangied herself by irving TO squeeze through
too narrow an opening. She lett avery Young
family OF three orphans. These ! gave, iu the
MIDDLE Of the day, to a lirahma hen which had
been sitting on dummies for about a month.
| She took them almost INN edntelv. aud re-
NAMED with them more than fortnight. Mt the
end of which time had to cause a separation,
In consequence Of the hen having sufocated
one Of the ferrets 10y standing on It's neck. Dur
| Ing the whole Of the time that the fcrrets were
left with the hen, the latter had to sit upon the
nest for the Young ferrets, of course, were not
| able to follow the hen about "a chickens would
| have done. The hen, as might be expected, was
very much puzzled Az the lethargN OF her on
! spring. Two or three times a day she used to iy
| OF the nest calling upon her brood TO follow: but
upon hearing their cries Of distress from cold
she always returned immediately and sat with
| patient e for six or seven hours or more.
should have said that II only TOOK the hen one
day to learn the meaning Of these cries Of dis
| tress for, after the first day, she would ALWAYS
| run in an nciiated manner to any place where
! concealed the ferrets. provided that THIS place
| was not too far away from the nest to prevent
! her from hearing the cries. Yet do not think
! II would be posslble 10 conceive on a greater
! contrast than that between the shril. piping
notes OF a young chicken and the hoarse. CrOwl-
/ rag notes Of a Young ferret. On the other hand
| l cannoc -av that the young ferrets ever seemed
| to learn the mes.,ing OF the hens clucktng
| During the whole of the ''nle thht tne men wa
allowed TO sit upon the ferrets. sue useu 70 com
hens In general comb out the feathers &, lneu
chickens. While engaged In this process, no..
! ever. she used TO stop and look with one
eye at the wrigGlinR nest fun with an fnquiring
gaze. expressive Of astonishInent. At other
! times. also, her family gave her good reason
| To Toe surprised for she used often 10 nv nn the
nest With loud scream. an action viii was
| douhtlrss due 10 the accustomed sensation II
being nipped by the Young ferrets in theiT
search for the teats. IL il further worth while
to remark that the hen showed So much uneasi-
ness OF mind when the ferrets were taken from
her to I've fed that AZ one time thought she was
gong to desert them altogether. After this.
therefore, the fcrrets were always fed in the
nest. and with this arrangement the hen was
perfectly satisded-applrently because she then
thought that she had some snare IN the
feeding process. At any rate she used 10 cluck
when She saw the milk coming. ana surveyed
the feeding with evident satisfaction.
In CONCLUSION. | may add that few weeks
before trying tins experiment with the hen. |
tried a similar one with a rabbit. In this case
the ferret was newly horn, and ! gave II to a
white doe rabbit which had Uttered Ave DAYS
before. Unlike the hen, however she perceived
the imposture AT once, and attacked the your. q
ferret 80 saNige,N that she broke two OF itS leg.
before | could remove II.