The Pigeon House, Loft, and Aviary. 



27 



The water fountain may be bought complete, of various patterns ; 

 but a good one may be improvised by carefully punching a hole in a two 

 gallon atone jar, near the bottom, and hermetically sealing the mouth. 

 This, placed in a ilower-pot saucer, the edge of which is higher than the 

 orifice made in the jar, will complete the fountain. But a better kind of 

 jar is that made of various sizes, like the illustration (Fig. 3), which, 

 being without a bottom, can be better cleaned out. When the pigeon 

 house has an outside flight on the ground, or when the fancier has more 

 than one such place, supplying the birds with drinking water can b& 

 better performed from the outside. I made for myself a pattern in wood, 

 like Fig. 4, from which I had several casts in iron taken, and I had them 

 galvanised. These saucers are placed outside my flights, with the 



Fig. 3.— Water Bottle, 



Fig. 4.— Water Dish. 



projecting part put through a hole cut in the wire netting. By this 

 method, from the arrangements of my pigeonry, I can supply my birds 

 with drinking water in half the time it would take to carry it inside. 



As a specimen of a pigeonry, quite extensive enough for one man to 

 attend to who has to do everything connected with it himself, before 

 and after business hours, I have prepared a plan of my own place (Fig. 

 5), which, though not perfect by any means — for almost every day brings 

 forth some new want — is now tolerably complete. Its arrangement may 

 be carried out on either a greater or smaller scale by anyone, either 

 erecting a columbarium from the beginning or adapting some existing 

 building. P is the entrance door to the court, which measures about 



