BIOGEAPHY. 75 



one season seventy-three dozens of young pigeons. There 

 is a stove, with flues in the building, but since it caught 

 fire by over-heating, and endangered the whole structure, 

 it has not been lighted. 



There is another 'dodge' in feeding the pigeons. It 

 was found that when their food was thrown down in the 

 yard, the poultry, being stronger than the pigeons, drove 

 them away, and ate the food themselves. So Waterton 

 had a floor of close wattle-work laid under the roof of a 

 shed at some height from the ground. The food for the 

 pigeons was always thrown upon this floor, where the 

 pigeons could easily reach it, while it was too high for the 

 poultry. 



Here are two more ' dodges ' intended for the preserva- 

 tion of young peas, beans, &c., from the all-present rats 

 and mice. 



Poisoned food is one effectual plan, but it must be so 

 laid that neither poultry nor game can get at it. This 

 object was attained by means of a poison-bowl, i.e. a 

 rounded bowl of earthenware, or even stone, through the 

 centre of which is a hole just large enough to admit a rat- 



POISON-BOWL AND SECTION. 



The use of the poison-bowl was simple enough. A spoon- 

 ful of poisoned meal was laid on the ground, and the bowl 

 inverted over it. Eats could reach the meal by the hole, 

 and did so, but neither pheasants nor poultry could so 

 much as touch it with the tips of their beaks. 



A section of the poison-bowl is given in the illustration, 

 together with a view of its upper surface. 



