BOOK OF DOVECOTES 



in the same vertical plane, but placed in such 

 a position with regard to each other that the 

 ladder they supported had a gentle slope. 

 This ladder, beingat the ends farthest from the 

 central beam, allowed a person standing on it 

 to search the upper nests for the young birds. 

 Without descending he could, by gripping the 

 tiers of nests, cause the beam and ladder to 

 revolve, and so move round the house. 



Sometimes one ladder only was employed ; 

 but not infrequently the arms projected on 

 either side of the beam, each end carrying a 

 ladder. This seems a questionable advantage ; 

 it allowed two persons to work together, but 

 unless their rate of progress coincided the time 

 saved must have been small. 



It is easily understood that a potence was 

 most useful in a circular or octagonal dovecote, 

 where the ladder would, as it revolved, be 

 equidistant from the walls atf every point. In 

 a square dovecote it would be of much less 

 service, giving access indeed to nests in the 

 middle of each wall, but leaving those placed 

 in and near the corners out of reach. Yet, in 

 some cases in England, and quite frequently 



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