WATER POUNTAINa 



21 



purpose a broad shallow pan or dish should be provided. It 

 may be of zinc or galvanized iron, and a good size for a 

 smallish loft is about two feet square by three or four inches 

 deep, filled with water to the depth of about two and a half 

 inches. We strongly recommend that the bath be always 

 allowed, except in freezing weather ; and if so, it must be re- 

 newed at least every two days, as it becomes rapidly fouled by 

 a kind of floury " bloom," which comes off the bird when 



Pig. 13. 



Pig. u. 



bathing, and which readily rubs off even on a dry coat-sleeve. 

 It is much the best if the bath can be placed in the outside 

 aviary, as it can in nearly all cases ; but if any peculiar circum- 

 stances make this inconvenient, a special pattern should be 

 made, with extra or outer sides, some six inches distant from 

 the inner- pan which holds the water, and which will catch the 

 splashing. A bath in the loft is, however, such a constant 

 nuisance, that it should always be avoided if possible ; in fact 

 we are convinced that even the mere presence of so much 

 evaporating surface of water is distinctly injurious, and causes 

 many attacks of cold or roup. When small and weakly 



