THE PIGEON LOFT. 5 



seven inches high, and there must be a small alighting stage or 

 shelf, level with the bottom, projecting, say, three inches from 

 each side of the door. We prefer the holes about a foot clear 

 from the floor of the loft, and each should be furnished with a 

 trap-door, for many obvious reasons. At c and d are the nest- 

 ing places and perches to be hereafter described. 



It will readily be seen that a loft and aviary thus con- 

 struct&i are perfectly secure against cats, and when buUt with 

 a raised floor are practically so against rats. It is often well 

 worth while to enclose the aviary with netting small enough in 

 mesh to be also proof against small birds. Otherwise, it is really 

 astonishing what a quantity of food these petty marauders will 

 eat in the course of a year. Omitting this precaution, we once 

 found no less than seventeen sparrows in a loft six feet square. 

 Such a number of visitors must needs make a serious difference 

 in the corn-merchant's bUl ; and in our opinion Master Sparrow 

 is in this way not altogether blameless for the generally assumed 

 voracious appetite of the pigeon. 



More extensive lofts can, of course, be erected on the same 

 general plan as that above described ; but we would strongly 

 recommend in all cases, unless imusually ample space be at 

 command, that the number of separate rooms be added to rather 

 than their size. Every additional means of dividing the pigeons 

 wUl, as the breeding season comes to a close, be found of in- 

 estimable benefit, and will greatly promote the amateur's con- 

 venience, comfort, and success. So true is this, that we are 

 acquainted with one most successful breeder who divided his 

 lofts and aviaries into sections only three feet wide, in each of 

 which he put two pairs of birds ; and he told us he had never 

 had such success in rearing young ones as since he adopted this 

 plan. 



It will very often happen, however, that some existing 

 accommodation has to be made available, and the very word 

 "loft" points to what has most often been pressed into the 



