22 
The Illustrated Book of Plgeons. 
thirteen upper pens on each side, each separate pen having a clear floor space of three and a half 
by four feet, which is amply sufficient for all breeding purposes, and also to give any pair of birds 
plenty of room during confinement. The transverse section (Fig. 8) shows how the pens are fitted 
up ; and it will be noticed that the floors of the upper pens are six inches below the tops of the 
doors to the lower pens, so as to allow the upper floors and nests to be cleaned or scraped out by 
only opening the under doors. 
The fronts or doors of the pens facing the middle hall or passage look very neat, being made, 
as shown in the longitudinal section (Fig. io), of yellow pine spars one inch wide by three-eighths of 
an inch thick, and each half of the door is made to open outwards, to allow free access for cleaning 
or examination. The holes by which the pigeons enter are placed nine inches up off the floors, so 
as to prevent young birds getting out of their own pens before they are able to fight their way. 
Each of these holes is nine inches high by six and a half inches wide, which allows of a water 
fountain standing on the outer shelf when required, to serve the double purpose of confining the 
birds when desired, and giving them water whenever so confined and debarred from the general 
fountain in the loft. The entrance-holes to the upper nests are, as will be seen, not placed over the 
under holes, but over the solid portions of the under doors, in order to prevent birds which are 
resting on their landings dropping excrement upon the under birds. 
The nest-pans are set on the floors of the pens, as shown in the plan and transverse section 
(Figs. 8, ii). They are each provided with a movable screen made of pine wood, shaped in plan 
like the letter L- This arrangement keeps the birds from leaving their eggs on the approach of a 
stranger, which they would often do if exposed. If desired, the nest-pans can be sunk, say two 
inches, into the floors, so as to allow the squeakers to get easily back to their nests when they have 
left them, which they often do in search of food from the old birds. 
There are two shelves, as shown in the transverse section, which run the whole length of the 
loft, at the same height as the landings of the upper pen holes. These shelves are six inches wide, 
and are supported six inches clear of the pens by quadrant iron brackets. There are also two 
tables or promenading boards or shelves, of the same width, down the centre of the loft, at a height 
of three feet, supported on §-inch iron legs. Between the ends of these tables is a clear space 
of six feet, in the centre of which is placed a board for the food, which is immediately under the 
principal roof-lights, and is raised three inches clear of the floor. 
The whole loft is most thoroughly ventilated from the roof windows, care being always taken 
not to open them so as to cause a draught ; and the walls, floor joints, and roof timbers are all 
covered with boarding, and every angle of tables, &c., rounded off, so as to prevent any damage 
from a pigeon coming against a sharp corner, which is not to be found throughout the whole loft. 
Coming now to the outside, the exterior perspective view shows clearly how this is fitted up as 
a flight or aviary, having pine framing covered with galvanised wire-netting, of a mesh fine enough 
to keep out the sparrows. There is a platform all round the lower part of the roof, about a yard 
wide, to allow the pigeons plenty of walking space, and this is furnished with old lime and gravel. 
And higher up the roof, on the slates themselves, and running all round parallel with the platform, 
are two resting-boards, one above the other. Along these resting-boards are fixed blocks, six inches 
high, and about four and a half feet apart, which is found necessary owing to the bad habit some 
over-bold cocks have, of claiming possession of the whole shelf and sweeping everything before them. 
They are also beneficial in giving a quiet rest to a breeding pair ; for when a cock is driving his hen 
to nest he will not allow her to rest unless some plan of this kind is adopted. By paying attention 
to little arrangements of this kind, the fancier will have much fewer barren or “empty” eggs. 
Opposite the front window is a bath, four feet by three feet, and four inches deep, which has a 
