PIGEOXS AND ALL ABOUT THEiM. 33 



A simple rat guard can be made liy any tiimer and if tliere 

 is only one entrance from the aii coup or the outer world, to 

 the loft, it is absolute protection. 



Take galvanized iron six inches wide and make a scjuare 

 that goes entirely around the window or opening that is used. 

 The top should slope down and the sides out and the Ijottoni 

 down. It will be 'seen that a rat cannot liold liis feet if he 

 jumps or climbs down from tlie eaves. He cannot crawl up, 

 nor can he get around the sides. To make tliis so ])lain that 

 any one can make a rat guard, a "^ide view of a loft witli a 

 rat guard would look like figure 7. 



The loft is now i)rotected from enemies without and it rests 

 with the fancier to keep it in that condition. 



Sometimes the fancier who has taken especial pains to keep 

 insects out of his loft, fondly imagines there are none there 

 because he does not see them. 



But there is a dark red or brown insect that moves so rapid- 

 ly through the feathers as to keej) well out of sight even 

 when a bird is looked over. 



To find if they are in the loft, go into it just about dark 

 any evening and watch the actions of the birds that are stand- 

 ing. If they shift rapidly from one foot to the other and 

 seem to " stamp " you may be sure that tliese pests are there 

 and if there at all they will soon lie there in countless numbers 

 for they lireed with alarming rapidity. 



For two years I have used a sim]ile and most convenient 

 remedy, the ordinary moth liall. These can be had at any 

 drugstore and cost only about ten cents per pound and no 

 insect or parasite can stand them. 



Put two or three under each nest and their fumes will soon 

 permeate the stems and enter into the feathers of the nesting 

 birds. As the cocks and hens change nesting hours they will 

 both soon be entirely free from insects. Put a couple right 

 into the nestwitli birds just Hedged and they will work equally 

 well and protect them as tbey grow. 



