BOOK VIII. III. 1-4 



may reach the fowls. Three adjacent cells are con- 

 structed to form the whole building or poultry-house 

 and, as I have said, their continuous front should 

 face the east. In this front there should be one small 2 

 entrance provided leading into the middle cell, which 

 in itself should be the smallest of the three, being 

 seven feet in height and in its other dimensions. In 

 this cell entrances should be made in the right and left 

 party walls, one leading to each of the other two cells 

 and adjoining the wall which faces those who enter the 

 central cell. To this wall a hearth should be fixed 

 of such a length as not to block the entrances 

 already mentioned and to allow the smoke from it to 

 penetrate into each of the other two cells. These 

 latter should have a length and height of twelve feet 

 and no more breadth than the middle cell. The 3 

 height should be divided up by lofts with four un- 

 occupied feet above them and seven below, since 

 they themselves take up one foot. Both lofts 

 ought to be used to accommodate the hens and 

 should each be lighted by a small v^dndow on the 

 east side, which may also provide the birds with a 

 means of exit in the morning into the poultry-yard 

 and a means of entrance in the evening ; but care 

 must be taken that they are always kept closed at 

 night that the fowls may remain in greater safety. 

 Below the lofts larger windows should be opened up and 

 secured with lattice-work, that harmful animals may not 

 be able to creep in, but at the same time so constructed 

 that the interior may be well lighted, so that the 

 poultry-keeper, who ought from time to time to keep 

 an eye upon the hens when they are sitting and hatch- 

 ing their young, may more conveniently visit them. 

 For in the hen-houses themselves too the walls should 4 



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