aocnnmlate on or near them, sictnesB will be the inevitable 

 result. Sweep out their house every morning, an'A at least 

 twice a week garnish the floor with some bright sifted gravel. 

 Don't forget that first essential in all households — clean water ! 

 Let them have a broad shallow pan full of it, and let the pan 

 be replenished every morning. In the hpttest summer months 

 twice a day will not be a bit too frequent. This will entail 

 some little trouble, of course, but the pigeon keeper will find 

 himself amply compensated if he will take the pains to watch 

 through a chink, and see the grateful little creatures washing 

 and pluming and phmging about in their refreshing bath. 

 Besides this, they will require a constant supply to drink, and 

 to guard against its becoming fouled by their excrement (as 

 would speedily be the case if the water was contained in an 

 uncovered vessel) a little ingenuity is necessary. No end of 

 elaborate and expensive vessels have been invented, but the 

 following win be found more thoroughly effective than any one 

 of them, and certainly least expensive. Procure a big bottle 

 with a longish neck, and an ordinary garden-pot saucer of a 

 small size ; ,fill the bottle to the brim, cork it up, and then 

 suspend it in a convenient comer, mouth dowmea/rds, and with 

 the nozzle of the bottle in the saucer, a/nd within an inch of the 

 bottom of it, half fill the saucer with water, and take the cork 

 out of the bottle; yom will find, that, replenished from the 

 bottle, the saucer will be always fuU, but will never run over. 



Mr. B. P. Brent gives the following instructions for the con- 

 struction of an excellent pigeon-house for common pigeons and 

 toys : — " The end of the roof of a bam, stable, granary, or dwell- 

 ing-house, is equally available for the purpose. The entrance 

 for the pigeons should be towards the south, south-west, or 

 south-east ; and, whether situated on the roof, or at the end of 

 the building, must be well secured against the inroads of cats 

 or rats. It should have some device by which the pigeons can 

 be shut in when necessary ; for instance, when the entrance is 

 through a number of pigeon-holes, then a wired, or latticed 

 frame, should let down in front, on hinges, by a string and 

 pulley. If it is through a window, or opening in the wall or 

 roofi a small platform, or alighting, board, should be placed 

 outside, and a lattioe-door may be made to puH up, and close 

 the space, so as to secure all the pigeons in the loft and yet 

 admit light. The floor of the loft must be well secured, to prevent 

 rats or mice getting in ; and a door, well fitted, for the same 

 reason, is necessary, to enter tl^e loft to inspect the birds or 



