36 National Standard Squab Book. 



jiul all lur, out at <>wi' hy tlif biittom hnkv It is 11 simple principle in 

 hvili'aiilirs wbirh you luay (loinoiisti-alc to .voiu- own satsfaction by filling 

 an oidiuai-y tiuuliloi' with water aii'l tlieii inverting it in a saucer of 

 «-,it(i-. TIeue is no way inv the air to get to Uie inside of the tum'bler 

 e\''ept l'.\- passing uieler tlie I'iin at tile points where it touches the saucer, 

 eonseiiiiiuniy it iloes not :lo\v down unless the water is removed from the 

 saur<'r, and, then it ceases as soon as the water in the saucer rises over 

 the liui ot tin: tumbler again. In fact, scune self-drinkei's for poultry are 

 made ot I wo pieces of jiottery exactly on the ijiincifde of the tumbler ami 

 saneci-. These fountains ai'e not so practical as the fountain which we 

 illustrate, iiecause a id^-con ^au roost on (he top of it and foul the saucer 

 ■n ith its dropiungs. In the fountain \\bi(h we idct\ire it is impossible for 

 ilropidngs to reach the nimiih conlaiiiing the water, even if the pigeon 

 js peridicd directly on lo|i of the fountain. The barrel shape of the fonn- 

 fain inak<'s it liaid foi' more than one i)igcon to i)erch at the same time on 

 its to|., bid one |)igciui usually is found there. He .gets up there, for the 

 spciial iMirpiise, it seems, of fouling the water, but the fountain beats 

 him and be can't do it. .\idther can he put his feet in the water unless 

 he is .ail cxtraordii}ary gymnast capable of hohliug 'bis body out at an 

 angli to the perpendi(adar. The result is, that in actual [iractice the 

 w.itcr kccp> clean, and tiicre is a sujiply of it ready about all the time. 

 A fountain of a gallon capacity will keep two or three dozen pairs of 

 bteeders s/u|iiilied all day. The fount.ain is filled by turning it on eml and 

 piniring ^^■;^te^ do\\'n into the opening. If you fill the fonnt.aiit at the same 

 lime you fill the bath ]u"in in the morning, you will have done your duty 

 by the pigions for the day. 



Tliei'" are si'vcral p. uterus of self drinkers Ijut the princii)le of all is 

 the s.anie .and you should scdcct .a p.itteni something like that we have de- 

 scribed .and whi(di a|i|iears to ,\aHi to be best protected from soilings. 

 These fminiains arc for sale by every iioiiltry suiip'ly store ill every trail- 

 ing centre. 



The best idace for the batl nan is out in the yard of the flying [leii 

 A |iaii l."i inches in diameter is right foi- .a Hock iiii to 24 pairs of 'birds 

 iini it will do for a barge flock if .\'on renew tlie \\'ater. The pan should 

 be from four to six imlies (b'ei>. not o\-er six inches, for a pigeon will not 

 ballic in water wlii're it woubl be likely to drown if pushed or sat on by 

 its males. Having the bath pan in |>ositioti on the ground of the flying 

 pen. .^■ou take to it onci' each day, in the morning, a bucket of water, and 

 [loiir llie water into the pan. Then you can go aw.ay to business, if you 

 wish. The [ligeons will Hy (o the pan ftoim the interior of the house, or 

 fiom I he loof, wherever they happen to be. Some will S|)lash right in. 

 (fibers will iiercli on the rim and drink before they Ijathe. When the 

 waler gets dirty, they know cnou.g'h not to drink, unless they are very 

 sorely piessed indeed for water. The water does get quite dirty from the 

 bathing. A thick, greasy, white scnm forms. The pigeons do not rustle 

 in the dirt, as a hen does, but rely on the water to keep them clean and 



