WHICH IS THE MOTHER?

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8529, 1 April 1891, Page 6

WHICH IS THE MOTHER?

Which is the mother of the chick—the hen that lays the egg or the hen that hatches it? This is a question just decided by Justice McMahon, of Parkville, a small but interesting suburb of Brooklyn. It is the first case of the kind known to have "been brought into court, and by reason of its unique importance the trial has occupied much of the time of the presiding Justice. The facts are that a Farmer McCaughn and Farmer Gormley are next door neighbours, and their henneries adjoin each other. Farmer McCaughn owns choice game birds, but the fowls belonging to his neighbour are of the ordinary farmyard standard. It was testified to that one of Farmer McOaughn's hens scrambled over the fence and indiscreetly, if not wickedly and feloniously, did lay two eggs, at divers times, on Farmer Gormley'3 E remises. The triumphant note which eralded this maternal achievement did not suggest to Fanner Gormley the propriety of picking up the eggs and delivering them into the possession of the owner of the hen. On the contrary, he promptly pub them under a sitting hen owned by himself, and in due course of time they were hatched. So soon as their feathers and little red combs began to grow Farmer McCaughn observed that these dubious chickens were full-blooded game birds, like those of his own hennery, and he made a demand for them. Farmer Gormley denied the claim of ownership with emphasis and disdain. Then Farmer McCaughn summoned his chicken-raising neighbour before the court for trial, and issue was joined The question was not between hen and hen, but between farmer and farmer, or, rather, it was a question as to whose hen was the mother of the chickens. 2\'ow, ordinary common sense would suggest that as the hatching of chickens is a mere mechanical process, chiefly.dependent upon caloric, as science has demonstrated most thoroughly, it is not characteristic, or necessarily even suggestive, of motherhood. The sitting hen is unquestionably an efficient incubator, and so, too, would be a rooster if you could get him to sit long enough ; but who would presume to say that a rooster could become a mother even if he should hatch a dozen broods ? Justice McMahon has decided that Farmer Gormley must surrender the two chickens to Farmer McCaughn, or pay to him the full amount of their value. But is not Farmer Gormley entitled to pay for the labour and services of his hen in hatching the eggs? The decision of the justice is righteous as to the main point at issue, but he seems to have overlooked the fundamental propriety of a counter claim. We advise Farmer Gormley to appeal.New 'York Tribune.