146 BREEDING-HOLES BASKET PIGEON-TRAPS. 



Partitions between 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 pri- 

 vacy, and not liable to be disturbed. Or a partition 

 may be fixed between each nest ; a good plan, 

 which prevents the young from running 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 in cleaning the 

 nests ; but it is from those that the squabs are likely 

 to fall, thence a step of sufficient height is prefer- 

 able. The tame pigeon seldom taking the trouble 

 to make a nest, it is better to give her one of hay, 

 which prevents her eggs from rolling. Or a straw 

 basket, or unglazed earthen pan, may be placed in 

 every nest, apportioned to the size of the pigeons 

 you breed. A PAN of three inches high, eight 

 inches over the top, and sloping to the bottom like 

 a basin, will be of sufficient size for a TUMBLER, or 

 a small pigeon, whilst one of double those dimen- 

 sions will be required for a large RUNT. A brick 

 should always be placed in contiguity to the pan, to 

 enable the cock and hen to alight with greater safety 

 upon the eggs. 



The PIGEON-TRAP, on the house-top, is the well- 

 known contrivance of those London rascals, who lie 

 in wait, as has been said, to entrap the property of 



