248 ON THE REARING AND MANAGEMENT 



to keep in the nests. Sometimes, also, a partition of 

 similar height is fixed in the middle of each three-feet 

 division, which thus divides it into two nests. This, 

 Mowbray and Girton concur in recommending as 

 likely to prevent the young from running to the hen 

 when 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 with no board in front, for 

 the greater convenience of cleaning the nests ; but as 

 the squabs are apt to fall out by this practice, a good 

 way would be to contrive the board in front to slip up 

 and down in a groove, by which each nest might be 

 cleaned at pleasure. As tame pigeons seldom take the 

 trouble of making a nest, it is better to give them one 

 of hay, to prevent the eggs from rolling. There are 

 also straw buckets, made in the form of nests, and also 

 nests or pans of earthenware. Where pans are used, 

 it is common to place a brick between them (two 

 being placed in a breeding hole), for the cock and hen 

 to alight on ; but on the whole, straw nests are best. 

 The pigeon-house has two entrances, one a common 

 sized door for man, either on the ground level, or to 

 be ascended to by a ladder, as used formerly to be the 



