Breeding and Management. 59 



and made of perforated zinc, having an upright tin back 

 (Fig. 39), with a hole in it by which to hang it up. Fix a ^in. 

 screw-nail in each breeding-compartment in such a position 

 as will allow the top of the nest to be about one in<;h above 

 the perch, and lin. from it, to enable the birds to feed their 

 young from the perches; the zinc bottoms let air into the 

 nest, which is necessary. I line these tins with felt; any 

 kind of felt will do, so long as it is soft and pliable an old 

 felt hat, for instance, but I prefer the thick felt used for lining 

 saddles, which can be procured from any saddler. This I split 



FIG. 40. PATTERN OP A FELT LINING FOR AN ARTIFICIAL NEST. 



in two; I place the outside of the felt at the bottom of the 

 nest, as the inner surface is much softer for the hens to sit 

 upon. I generally have three sizes of these nests. The first 

 is 3in. in diameter and lin. deep; these I use for the hens 

 to sit in during incubation. The second size is 3$in. in dia- 

 meter and 2in. deep, and the third 4in. in diameter and 2in. 

 deep; these I use for transferring the young birds into when 

 eight or nine days old. I use them according to the number 

 of young birds. Second size for three or four, and the larger 



