Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-03
The Egg.

OF the many millions who daily use this
most appetizing and delicate of foods, how
few know anything of its formation or
structure, and yet, small as it is, its me-
chanism is wonderful. AS every one
knows, it is composed of yOlk and white
ina thin membrane, all enclosed in a shell
very brittle and of various colors. The
yOlk is composed of blood, assimilated,
through the working power of the hen,
and proportion of oil, drawn from the
grain she eats. The white is thick mu-
cilage: derived from the green or vegeta-
bic portion of her daily diet, while the
membrane or skin is made frOmthe woody,
fbrous substance of the same. The yolks
or OUd grow in cluster on the spine and
pass through a tuft of soft skin, between
the lungs and the kidneys, one being
formed every twentv-four or thirty-siX
hours while the hen is laying, which is
enclosed in very thin skin. On the ma
turing of the yOlk this skin breaks, letting
it drop into the mouth of a funnel-shaped
duct, in length from fifteen to twenty
inches, consisting Of three divisions, the
terminus of each being an elbow. The
inner side of this canal is very soft and
pllable, being composed OF folds, tapping
partially over each other, the last division
being very much finer in texture than the
others. While passing through the first
division, the length of which is five inches,
the YOlk makes three distinct revolutions
and the white is put on in the same num-
Der of layers. In the second the same
length as the first, theyolk, with the white
around it, gets its shape from the rotary
motion of its course, and also the men,
brane which encloses it; while in the
third division the shell is received, which
is thin fluid, in color to suit the breed.
At the turning of this division the duct is
globe shaped, and here the egg turns and
comes out big end or head first. The egg
is fertilized by the influence of the male
bird, which passes through small duct,
along the spine of the cluster of small OCd.
The yOlk is suspended in the centre by
two spiral cords, one end being attached
to each end of the yOlk, the other end
passing through the white, being fastened
to the membrane lining the shell. These
cords are laid fright and left handed"
thus holding it with the heavy side down,
no matter in what position the egg may
be held or placed.
The chick is formed entirely from the
white, and here we see the use of the three
revolutions in the first division. The first
layer forms the bone and sinew, the sec
ond the flesh, the third the skin and feath-
erS. The first part formed is the eyes,
appearing as two black specs, one on each
side of the suspending cord, at the large
end, next the skullbOne between, and in
order the neck, spine, legs and wings. AT
nine days there is a complete circulation
and life, and at fourteen days the white
is all taken up. The cords have now made
a connection in the stomach and prOtrude
from the navel in a number of blood YES
sells and enclose the yOlk in a network of
smaller ones, and through these the chick
draws it's nOurishment from the yOlk
transformed to its original substance
blood. After the shell is cracked and the
chick has gained strength, these two large
blood vessels, draw into the belly what
remains of the yolk, the navel is closed,
the course is ali clear and. having cracked
the shell all around, the little creature
gets its head against one end, and its tiny
feet against the other, the parts separate
and out rolls the chick. Nothing more
interesting can be imagined than closely
observing the process of incubation in its
various stages and the mind is deeply inn
pressed with the wisdom and power of the
Great Being, ''who doeth all things we'll"
7. j. H., IN Farmer and Ddjrynadp.