Breedins: Holes — Basket. 189 



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of the shelves is about twenty inches, with 

 the allowance of eighteen, between shelf 

 and shelf, which will be sufficient not to in- 

 commode the tallest pigeons. Partitions be- 

 tween the shelves may be fixed at the 

 distance of about three feet, making a 

 blind, by a board nailed against the front 

 of each partition, whence there will be two 

 nests in the compass of every three feet, 

 so that the pigeons will sit in privacy, and 

 not liable to be disturbed. Or a partition 

 may be fixed between each nest ; — a good 

 plan, which prevents the young from run- 

 ning to the hen sitting over fresh eggs, 

 and perhaps occasioning her to cool and 

 addle them : for when the young are about 

 a fortnight or three weeks old, a good hen 

 will leave them to the care of the cock and 

 lay again. 



Some prefer breeding-holes, entirely 

 open in front, for the greater convenience 

 of cleaning the nests ; but it is from those 

 that the squabs are likely to fall, thence 

 a step of sufficient height is preferable. 



