60 



THE PRACTICAL PIGEON KEEPER. 



certain well-known breeders who are scarcely ever known to 

 exhibit in any other way. 



Exhibition at public shows is a severe tax on most birds, 

 and they should not be too often exposed to it. Hens of many 

 varieties are speedily rendered useless by over-showing; and 

 well-known show hens should therefore only be purchased 

 with extreme caution for the breeding-loft. The evil is made 

 worse very often by neglect of proper attention. For instance, 

 heavily-wattled breeds need a trough, which must be inside the 

 pens, since they can neither see to feed properly from the floor 

 of a pen or get their heads through to the outside ; the latter 

 disability also applies to water. These matters are, howevei', 

 improving, and it is not our purpose in this work to give any 

 details as to the management of shows. 



Pigeons are sent either in boxes or baskets. For a single 

 bird or a pair, any box, not less than six inches deep and of a 

 suitable size — such as grocers have by scores — will do, boring a 

 few half-inch holes round near the top. If such a box is for a 

 pair of birds a thin partition must be fixed in, not square, but 

 slanting, as at A B in Fig. 18, so as to fit the general shape of the 



bird and keep it from 

 turning round. For a 

 larger number of bii'ds 

 Fig. 19 is the best box 

 with which we are 

 acquainted, and is the 

 result of many trials. 

 The wood for the out- 

 I'ig- 18- side is made as thin 



as consistent with strength, the upper edges being scolloped 

 out for ventilation. The partitions and inner lids are not 

 only very thin — /^ of an inch is sufficient — but are pierced 

 with large holes as thickly as can be arranged. This plan pro- 

 motes ventilation, as well as saving weight. Near the bottom 



