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NEST BOWLS AND NESTS 49 
amount of manure which then sticks to it is removed with a 
trowel. 
The use of this wood-fibre nest bowl has lightened the 
work a great deal for they never have to be washed. They 
should not be washed, for water weakens them, particularly 
at the bottom, where the screw hole is. A washer should 
be put under the screw head to hold the bowl tight: and to 
prevent its turning while being cleaned. We.ship these 
washers and screws with the bowls. 
The pigeons will not take with mathematical regularity 
pair by pair the nest boxes which you have provided. Some 
of them will take them in pairs, one adjoining the other. 
This makes it convenient for you in keeping track of them. 
Others will take one nest box in one part of the squab house 
but go to another part of the squab house for their second 
nest. Some will not take a nest box at all, but will build a 
rough nest on the floor of the squab house and rear their 
family there. Let them choose for themselves. 
The nests are built by the birds of straw, grass, hay or pine 
needles. The birds fly to the pile, select what wisps they 
want, then fly to the nest boxes and arrange the wisps in 
a nest bowl to suit themselves. -Tobacco stems are recom- 
mended for nesting material, becausé the odor from them 
will have a tendency to drive away lice, but they are not 
necessary if the nest bowls are used and ordinary cleanliness 
observed. The tanners do not want manuré. mixed with 
tobacco stems which have dropped. down’ “from the nests. 
The stems, when wet in the vat, stain the hides. When 
tobacco stems are used for nesting material, it is impossible 
to prevent many of them from dropping to. the floor, where 
they are tramped by the birds into the manure.” The tanners 
do not care if some straw and hay arein the manure. Before 
cleaning out the squab house, the loose straw_ and feathers 
should be swept out with a broom. ~ 
The best thing to keep the nesting material in is a berry 
crate. Fill it with straw and hay (use the fine oat, not rye 
straw, cut into six-inch lengths) and shut down the cover. 
Then when the birds want nesting material they will fly to 
the vertical openings in the sides of the berry crates, stick 
their bills in and make their selection. The cover of the berry 
crate prevents the birds from soiling the nesting material. - 
