CHAPTER Iv. 
THE NAPPIES AND NESTS. 
Do Not Use the Old-Fashioned Nest Fans—The Six-Inch and Seven-Inch 
Nappies of Farthenware—Obvious Faults of the Earthenware Nappy 
—A Perfect Nest-Pan Found in the Wooden Nappy, Which the Birds 
“Pake to’—How the Pigeons Choose Nest Boxes. 
For nest pans, do not use the heavy, deep, red clay, unglazed dishes 
which you may see offered for sale as pigeon nests. They are a relic of 
the past. 
In our early experience, we discovered in the common kitchen yellow 
earthenware nappy aa excellent pigeon nest, and used it exclusively. We 
employed two sizes, the six-inch and the seven-inch, changing from the 
large one to the small one when the squabs were two weeks old. These 
earthenware nappies filled the bill in being cheap and shallow, and the 
pigeons deposited their manure in a circle outside and not inside the nest. 
They generally gave satisfaction in the hands of our customers, but they 
have faults which are obvious. They are flat and not rounding on the 
bottom and when the female pigeon turns the eggs (as she does daily, 
same as a hen, in order to give the heat of her body to the whole shell) 
the eggs are liable to roll apart, making it necessary for the bird to gather 
them together again, and after two or three mishaps like this she is liable 
to desert them. The earthenware is cold, breakable and can be kept elean 
only with water. The washing of the nappies becomes a tedious task and 
is often neglected. 
‘During the past year we have perfected a nappy made of wood which 
meets every objection raised against the earthenware nappy, -and in addi- 
tion, has péculiar merits of its own which we think fairly entitle it to be 
called the perfect nest-pan for pigeons. We gave it a thorough trial before 
putting it on the market and being convinced of its remarkable utility, 
made- arrangements for its manufacture especially for us, and during the 
past six months we have sold thousands of them. No article for pigeons 
ever wet with such a warm welcome from squab breeders. It indeed fills 
“the long-felt want.” One of the large woodenware factories is making 
thesé goods for us and has been compelled to build special machinery to 
turn them out in quantities sufficient for the enormous demand that has 
sprung up. 
This wooden nappy is sold by us in one size only. It is made of kiln- 
dried maple in two parts, a bowl nine inches in diameter and a base (to 
give the necessary stability) seven inches square, three-quarters of an 
(31) 
