2 THE PRACTICAL PIGEON KEEPKR. 



young will be reared than if any attempt be made to crowd the 

 birds. 



Few people, however, are reduced to this ; and for a modest 

 but efficient loft we can strongly recommend a wooden building, 

 twelve feet by six feet, divided by a partition into two houses, 

 each six feet square. If a handy place offers, this can, of course, 

 be reared against the wall of a house or garden, and the floor 

 boarded or asphalted ; concrete does not answer, from the pro- 

 pensity of pigeons to pick it to pieces. But it will do just as 

 well, and is often more convenient, to make the wooden build- 

 ing detached in the garden. In such case it may be framed 

 with " quartering," and the floor should be tongued with hoop- 

 iron, raised about a foot from the ground, and well-smoothed, 

 which will make the house dry in any situation. For the walls 

 good match-boardiug, about an inch thick, answers admirably ; 

 and only where the breeds to be kept are very delicate — as, for 

 instance, foreign Owls — or the climate is very severe, may it be 

 advisable to nail an inner skin of thinner match-board to the 

 inside of the frame. Such an inner skin, however, with the 

 layer of air between, makes a very warm loft, and adds much 

 to neatness, and where a little expense is no object, is worth its 

 cost. For the roof we prefer ordinary rafters, covered with 

 loose tiles, and lined inside with match-board. At the highest 

 part of each house, just under the roof, should be adequate 

 holes for ventilation, which can be covered with perforated 

 ziac. 



For pigeons allowed to fly at liberty no further space or 

 accommodation beyond what is contained in the loft will be 

 required ; it will only be necessary to provide a safe means of 

 enti-y and exit, which will protect them from thieves and cats, 

 and which will be described in the chapter on "Homing 

 Pigeons." In the country, where the neighbours are honest, it 

 will answer best to let nearly all varieties fly in this manner 

 and birds so happily circumstanced will maintain themselves in 



