FOOD HOPPERS. 19 



of these latter hoppers, it will be seen, are made in two forms — 

 one for the centre of the room or loft, and the other to be 

 placed against a walL Mr Battye has also invented a hopper,, 

 shown in Fig. 12, so contrived that each feeding aperture is 

 closed by a swing door, and only opened when the pigeons step 

 upon a lever. They readily learn to do so ; and this hopper 

 has, therefore, one advantage in lofts which are not sparrow- 

 proof, as the weight of the small birds is not sufficient to 

 expose the grain. On the whole, for small lofts or divisions 



Pig: 12. 



such as we have described, we prefer the second form shown in 

 Fig. 9. 



Where sheds have been converted for use as lofts, there is 

 often trouble from mice, which, if allowed, will eat a great 

 quantity of grain. Not only so ; but their excrement, and the 

 "mousy" quality of what is left, seem to exert an actually 

 poisonous effect upon many pigeons. This is unnecessary, being 

 avoidable by very simple means. We have tried the plan of 

 suspending a board by four wires from the roof, at a certain 

 distance from the ground, and this is quite effectual as regards 

 the mice ; but unfortunately the pigeons are veiy apt to injure 

 themselves against the wires, which they do not appear ever to 

 get accustomed to, A better plan is to make a small table, the 



