Breeding. 47 



dealing with the small varieties, such as Tumblers, 

 Magpies, Archangels, Fantai'ls, Jacobins, etc., one 

 box is sufficient for each pair, but if you keep Runts, 

 Pouters, Carriers, Dragoons, or Show Homers, the.n 

 two of these sugar boxes will be needed for each pair, 

 and they must be so arranged that each pair of birds 

 will know their own nests, and thus not be inclined 

 to wander away and interfere with their fellows in the 

 loft. If you have a pen-room or a shed where you 

 can fix up a few matching pens such as are adver- 

 tised in " Pigeons," 3'ou need not trouble abou*t doing 

 anj'thing tO' these boxes beyond nailing a strip of 

 wood along the front, so as to form a barrier or fence 

 to prevent the 3'oung birds, when you have any, 

 from wandering awaj^ out of the nest. If you have 

 no room or shed in which to mate your birds, or can- 

 not afford the cost of a few mating pens, it is wise to 

 put a few bars on the front of each box, and a door, 

 so that the box looks something like a Rabbit hutch. 

 A few laths nailed on with fine lAin. French nails, 

 a door with two pieces of old leather for hinges, a 

 piece of \'\'ood to act as a button fastener, and the 

 nesting place is complete. What is properly the top 

 of the box becomes the front when the box is laid 

 on its side lengthways, and the slides become the bot- 

 tom and top. The bottom should be well covered 

 with sawdust, and the birds which are to be mated 

 should be put in together, and kept fastened up for 

 three or four days until they have sworn eternal 

 loyalty and allegiance. The food can be put on the 

 floor of the boxes, and water may be given them in 

 small .jam jars o ttside. 



FOR BETTER OR WORSE. 



^Mien they seem to have decided to take each 

 other " for better or for worse,'' the doors may be 

 taken off, and the birds allowed to come out into the 

 loft. Careful watch must be made at this time to 

 see that they do not break. It sometimes happens 

 that a gay young cock or a giddv young hen will 

 break away from the partner you have chosen, and 

 go flirting with some other bodv and the stran.ge 



