Various Nest-Boxes. 43 



hole, through the enlarged eye of which the head of the nail passes, the narrow cut allowing the 

 tin to fall on the shank, when the inclined position of the nail will generally afford sufficient grip 

 to prevent the nest being pulled out one side by the bird. This will constantly happen if the tin be 

 suspended on a screw, as there is then nothing but the friction of the nest against the back of the 

 cage to prevent its oscillating freely on the rounded edge, unless the head of the screw be sent well 

 home so as to bite the edges of the slit, in which case it sometimes bites too much, and it is 

 not easy to lift the nest off and on. Sometimes, in place of a cup, there is only a bare framework, 

 in which the nest proper is placed. These tins are usually made of three sizes, ranging from 

 three to four inches in diameter, and even larger; the larger sizes being intended for the 

 reception of extra large nests of young birds, should the smaller ones be found too small 

 for their accommodation ; for, be it remembered, tin is not so yielding as the sides of a 

 naturally-built nest. These are lined with soft felt, procurable at any saddler's, of which there 

 are two kinds, white and brown. The white is the softer material of the two, and is a trifle more 



FIG. 20. — TIN NEST. 



FIG. 21. — TIN FRAME ONLY. 



expensive than the brown, which is harder and much tougher— an excellent quality, by the way, 

 for some birds never leave it alone, even while sitting, but peck away at it till the bottom of the 

 nest is completely perforated. The tougher kind is also to be had black ; the texture of the 

 material is the same. We have no choice as to selection, but the white looks cleanest, and has 

 a comfortable appearance about it suggestive of warmth. Cut the felt into circular pieces, 

 according to the size of the tins, remembering that the diameter of the felt must be much greater 

 than that of the tin, to allow of its being pressed into the cup, flush with the top edge. Each 

 piece must then be split into two, tearing it open like a muffin. It will be found that the white 

 will split easily, but the brown requires a good pull. In order to fit it into the tins, a deep angular- 

 shaped piece must be cut out of the edge ; don't cut it too large at first, but if the felt will not fit 

 smoothly without any ridges, enlarge the notch till the desired shape is obtained, and then cut the 

 remainder to pattern. We have always found one deep notch to be amply sufficient, the stuff 

 being very easily worked into shape in the tins, where it must be secured by a few stitches of 

 stout thread passed through the perforated zinc bottom, and secured firmly too, as the hens will 

 pull away at it in a resolute manner, sometimes biting through the thread and turning the bed out 

 on to the floor. Our reasop <"or making only one notch is that there is only one rent to close, and 



