BOOK OF DOVECOTES 



rises a curved piece of timber, on which is sup- 

 ported a circle of wood to which the rafters are 

 fixed. 



The potence is still in complete order. The 

 massive upright post, six inches by four in 

 section, is pivoted in a wooden block in the 

 floor and to the cross-beams which support the 

 roof. It carries a sixteen-rung ladder, which is 

 strengthened by diagonal struts. 



But it is the construction of the nests which 

 presents the chief internal feature of this dove- 

 cote. Two feet above the floor the walls are cor- 

 belled, a shelf six inches wide being formed. 

 From this shelf rise perpendicular slabs of wood, 

 fixed to the wall at distances nine inches apart. 

 Similar slabs rise from the floor, in front of 

 those upon the shelf. These uprights are con- 

 nected by round wooden pegs, placed horizon- 

 tally, and long enough to project beyond the 

 front row. Upon these pegs flat boards are laid 

 to form the nest-floors, with upright boards to 

 serve as the dividing walls. The whole arrange- 

 ment was thencovered with somekind of mortar 

 or cement, aledgebeingformedinfrontof every 

 tier. Such an arrangement as here seen is most 

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