WATER AND FEED 53 
not bathe in water where it would be likely to drown if pushed 
or sat on by its mates. Having the bath pan in position on 
the ground of the flying pen, you take to it once each day, 
in the morning, a bucket of water, and pour the water into the 
pan Then you can go away to business, if you wish. The 
pigeons will fly to the pan from the interior of the house, or 
from the roof, wherever they happen to be. Some will 
splash right in. Others will perch on the rim and drink 
before they bathe. When the water gets dirty, they know 
enough not to drink, unless they are very sorely pressed 
indeed for water. The water gets quite dirty from the bath- 
ing. A thick, greasy, white scum forms. The pigeons do 
not rustle in the dirt, as a hen does, but rely on the water 
to keep them clean and dainty. They flap their wings in the 
water and enjoy it thoroughly. A pigeon will never run 
away from water, as you will discover if when you are water- 
ing your lawn you turn the hose on them. 
Let the dirty water stand in the bath pan all day if you 
choose, or you may go to it an hour or two after you have filled 
the pan, and empty the water. One bath a day is enough. 
If there is a stream of water running through your property 
handy to your squab house, build your flying pen out over 
it and you need never trouble with bath pans or drinking 
water. If it is a deep stream, you will have to contrive a 
shallow bath tub at the shore, or divert part of the' stream 
into a shallow run. The squab raiser with a stream of water 
handy should by all means make use of it and save himself the 
work of carrying water in pails. 
The bath pan may rest in a basin, if you choose, and the 
overflow caused by the splashing of the wings may be con- 
ducted to a sewer and drained away. You may conduct 
water in pipes and have a faucet opening out over the bath 
pan, which faucet you may control either directly or from 
a central station. An easy home-made arrangement to be 
used in conjunction with the bath pan consists of a wet sink 
in which the bath pan sits, and out of which the splashed 
water runs. In the winter it may be advisable to give your 
pigeons their bath in the squab house instead of in the yard 
of the flying pen, in which case you should have some device 
on the wet-sink principle to prevent the floor of the squab 
house from getting damp. 
