132 Bird-keeping. 



titioned off for the two nest-boxes, should be a com- 

 partment for the young birds to be placed in, when it 

 is nedessary to remove them from their parents. The 

 objection to this cage is that the nest-boxes are neces- 

 sarily placed so high up in the cage, that the young 

 birds sometimes fall out, and get seriously injured in 

 consequence. One of mine had a broken back, and 

 another a dislocated leg, from an accident of this kind, 

 when they were quitting the nest. Moreover, it is 

 not so easy to keep clean as the more open cages, and 

 the perches are generally fixed into the wooden back. 

 Therefore I much prefer using an open wire cage, with 

 a movable wire partition at one end, for the nursery 

 for the young birds ; and hanging-up boxes or baskets 

 for the nests in the larger compartment, at a moderate 

 distance from the floor, so that the young birds are in 

 less danger of becoming seriously damaged by a fall 

 from the nest. Some hens, however, will not build in 

 a box placed low in the cage, and when this is the 

 case, they must be allowed one placed nearer the top, 

 which can be moved when the young birds are nearly 

 fledged. All hens like to have a covering over the 

 top of the cage, to give shelter to the nest. 



Many kinds of nesting-boxes and baskets are manu- 

 factured now : some made of tin and earthenware are 

 recommended as preservatives against insects ; but the 

 latter are very cold, and must have a lining of felt or 

 some other warm materials which is apt to harbour 



