l8 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I904. 



so that it is at right angles with the eleven inch section. It 

 passes along the side of the box eleven inches above the floor, 

 back toward the entrance door and is fastened strongly to the 

 wall by staples, but yet loosely enough so that the wire can roll 

 easily. The remaining section of the wire, which is three inches 

 long, is bent toward the center of the box, with an upward 

 inclination, so that it supports the door when it is open and rests 

 upon it. The end of the wire is turned over smoothly, forming 

 a notch into which the door may slip when opened. 



As the hen passes in under the open door and then through the 

 circular opening to the nest, she raises herself so that her keel 

 may pass over the lower part of the division board, and her back 

 presses against the horizontal wire, as she passes it, and lifts it 

 enough, so that the end supporting the door slides from under 

 it, and the door swings down and passes a wire spring, near the 

 bottom of the box, at the entrance, which locks it and prevents 

 the hen from escaping, and others from entering. 



The double box with nest in rear is necessary, as when a hen 

 has laid and desires to leave the nest, she steps out into the front 

 space and remains there, generally trying to escape, until she is 

 released. With one section only she would be very likely to 

 crush her egg by stepping upon it and learn the pernicious habit 

 of egg-eating. 



The boxes are placed four in a block, and slide in and out like 

 drawers and can be carried away for cleansing when necessary. 

 Four nests in a pen have accommodated 20 hens, by the attendant 

 going through the pens once an hour, or a little oftener, during 

 that part of the day when the hens are busiest. Earlier and 

 later in the day his visits have not been so frequent. To remove 

 a hen, the nest is pulled part way out and as it has no cover, she 

 is readily lifted up, and the number on her leg band is noted on 

 the record sheet, that is tacked up, close at hand. After having 

 been taken off a few times they do not object to being handled, 

 the most of them remaining quiet, apparently expecting to be 

 picked up. 



Before commencing the use of trap nests, it was thought that 

 some hens might be irritated by the trapping operation and 

 object to the noise incident to it, but we have not found an indi- 

 vidual that appeared to be annoyed by it, and we have used 

 Leghorns, Brahmas, Wyandottes and Plymouth Rocks. The 



