DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



When the hen about to lay steps up on the door and walks in towards the dark 

 at the back of the nest, she passes the point where the door is hinged to the treadle, 

 and her weight on the treadle causes it to drop. This at the same time pulls the 

 door up behind he,r. It is then impossible for the ben, to get out of the nest till the 

 attendant lifts door and treadle and resets it. 



The nest is very simple. It has no locks or triggers to get out of order. Yet 

 by proper balancing of door and treadle it can be so delicately adjusted that a weight 

 of less than half a pound on the treadle wi'.l spring the trap. All bearing surfaces 

 are made of beech because of the well-known property of this wood to take on a 

 highly polished surface with wear. The nests in use at the Maine Station have the 

 doors of hardwood in order to get greater durability. Where trap-nests are con- 

 stantly in use poor construction is not economical in the long run. For temporary 

 use the door could be constructed of soft wood. 



An excellent type of nest. These nests are hung on the wall and may be removed for 

 cleaning. This type of nest Is dark, the bird entering from the rear and the door in front 

 being opened to remove the eggs. 



The trap-nests are not made with covers because they are used in tiers and slide 

 in and out like drawers. Four nests in a pen accommodate fifteen hens by attendant 

 going through the pens once an hour, or a little oftener, during that part of the day 

 when the hens are busiest. The hens must all have leg-bands in order to identify 

 them ; a number of different kinds can be purchased in the larger towns of the 

 Province. The double box with the nest in the rear is an advantage. When a hen 



