PIGEON^.S AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 19 



NEST MATERIAL. 



THE very best material for nests is tobacco stems, not the 

 great coarse stems, but tlie smaller ones, that can be 

 gotten at any cigar factory. With a basis of lime, a 

 nest of stems, and a little dusting of the nest with Dalmation 

 insect powder one need pay little heed to insects. 



Of course tire bath is a great adjunct, and in a city where 

 there are water works, it is astonishing to see how clieaply a 

 few gas pipes and a common galvanized iron pan can be turned 

 into a good fountaiu. 



This fountain should always be put in the air coop if pos- 

 sible. A batli on the loft floor is all riglit if one can do no 

 l>etter, but a bath in the air coop, after which the birds can 

 sun and stretch out on the sand and gravel, is far better. 



Butto revert to nests, if the fancier cannot get tobacco stems, 

 there is nothing better than jjine shavings, of wliicli all in- 

 sects have a liorror. Given a basis of pine sliavings, tlie birds 

 may be allowed to use any kind of twigs, liroom straw or any- 

 thing that has no hole in it. Hay is about the worst thing 

 that can be used, as the little red mites ask uotliing better in 

 which to breed. Straw is even worse than hay. But if the 

 fancier can do no better, he can allow the birds to use any- 

 thing that is handy and trust to lime and insect powder for 

 the rest. 



I said that I suggested a single tier of nest boxes around 

 the wall of the loft, and one reason istliat itmakes mating 

 so much more easy. And not only that but it "locates" the 

 birds where the owner wants them. If 18 inch nests are used 

 the three foot portable mating coop comes in handy. 



To make it, take any kind of a wire front (and they can be 

 had in any city where there have been shows) and put a top 

 on it of the same length. Then use a partition wire for each 

 end and you have a coop, with no back orboitom, that uan 

 be slipped along the floor in front of any two nests. 



