Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-09-24
THE WAYS OF A HEN
THEY ARE WORTHY OF MORE STUDY
THAN THEY RECEIVE.

Animal Tim, Lives.
Half wild, with the ancestral habits
of the Jungle fowl about her ana tho
wariness OF fear apparent in every
energetic net. AMI still half tanned,
with the sensclcss confidence OF ig.
nOrancc in evidence and showing plain.
~ In many nets, the domestic hen IL
worthy of more study than she re,
cei4cs
Poultry fanccrs by long practice can
predict almost 10 Il feather the creature
that will result from any given cross
between two marked varieties and can
forcscc how many eggs new breeds
from crosses will lay in year, ana so
mark out the course Of the unborn OF
spring from mixed mating that we
have but little 10 discover from oh.
scrvntion. Bnt the color and character
OF the pluinagc. the amount of egg pro.
duction anu The weight and cdlbility OF
the new generation are not all there Is
to Il hen
The domestic fowl may not have
soul, but she has both n giz2urd and
crop, which shows she has the ndvan-
tngr OF the human race. Surely, she
does not reason, else she would not act
AS she does. but She holds certain men
tai attributes which serve better than
any reasoning power could hope to do
md thus gains her ends without going
10 the trouble OF tliinking.
Take two clippers and place In one
two quarts Of yellow 1int corn, such
as Is grown In Maine, and put in the
other two quarts of gold dollars, such
us are still mntc1 in San Francisco
Now empty both dishes among the
gravel Of the hcnyard and note how
the poultry will pick up ana swallow
the corn, leaving the gold to lie out and
mingle with the common earth
To an minimizing observer gold dol.
lar bears fairly close resemblance to
IL kernel OF yellow flint corn. Both are
reddish yellow; both are nearly OF
equal size 10 human senses both are
hurd nnd OdorlesS and, until broken
open, tnstcleSs. by what organ of
sense does the hen distinguish The dol
lar from the kernel! From the human
standpoint of the sense. of taste and
smell YOU cannot tell ono from the 9th
or. The extra weight OF the gold coin Is
not the reason why 1t Is discarded, be-
cause Il hen VIII pick up oats ms we'll
as corn, though one holds thirty-two
and the other llfty-siX pounds to the
even bushcl
II the contents Of the two measures
nad been spread out in front OF men
the choice would not have been made
according to hen conclusions. for tile
reason that men have learned how gold
dollars urn rnpct ,t, D,,+ Ia 49,.
had never seen IL kernel of corn or n
gold dollar before during her existence
she would lmve chosen the corn Just us
quickly. Why was she led to make the
choice?
Among the most interesting features
III raising poultry is to note the rcycr-
6ioii TO ancestral types Which crops out
IN the young. The custodian of the
coops inny walk about the premises
for days and weeks without creating
any gossip among tina hens, but let n
stranger come along, and the outcry
or danger IS made forthwith. This in.
herilcd dread OF Il foe crops out to Il
marked degree In the young. If hen
steals her nest and incnbatcs her
young and brings them to the door to
he fed every chick IN the lot will scoot
away and hide us soon as human
being appcnrs on the scene.
Among game fowl and the smaller
breeds this fear continues for weeks,
though ii nearly disappears when The
chicks become adults. The family dog
may LOAF about the yard for weeks and
never raise su'lawli of protest. but
let {; new dog approach the premises
anu The outcrlcs of the poultry may
ne heard from afar. a skunk will
drive The poultry into Mysteries, though
black ana white striped cat that be.
longs OH the place can sun itself In thc !
rllnways for hours and yer be wax.
encd by poultry outcrics.
Al what age and by what manner do |
chickens learn 10 distinguish their
friends Having been made able To
understand ;liat the man who has
chifSc ol them Is their protector. why |
20 they not extend this confidence TO |
all human beings?
Hens are at once the wisest and |
most foolish animals that live.
II dog receives punishment a few
times for visiting certain spot If
will acquire wisdom from coutoct wifi, |
me switch ana will either shun the for
Diibeh place entirely or will wait until |
me human dealer in vengeance has |
gone away l'nt no form Of punish
Hiehi diverted by man can wcan n
men from Invading II garden ana
1cratciiins among the plants. If we SUI
peri"r human beings could fatnom The
RAND of lie hnnblcst hen ana couId
learn al! there is TO know as To her