Mr. Wallace' s Loft. 
i9 
half inches wide, and furnished with small landings, to give ingress and egress to the pigeons. 
These holes should either be furnished with traps, or be so shaped that they can be exactly 
closed by a small stone fountain placed on the landing. For the aviary two-inch mesh will be 
sufficient, and the larger space that can be afforded the better. Whatever the space be, 
however, it should be furnished round the sides only with shelves or boards a few inches wide, 
and placed a few inches from the wire, in order that the pigeons may not damage their tails 
iii turning round. We say round the sides especially, as it is very foolish and unadvisable to have 
any perches crossways, or anywhere in the middle ; such would not only prevent the birds 
making the most of their space, and having a good fly from one end of their enclosure to the other, 
but wc are certain, from many observations, that the birds striking against such obstacles in their 
flight is a frequent cause of wing disease. The floor of the aviary must be kept as clean and free 
from any dampness as possible, especially as the bath will always cause some water to be spilt ; 
hence it is best either laid in gravel or concrete, or asphalted ; and it will be all the better if it be 
covered over, and only open, at the sides, as this both keeps off much wet, and also the power of the 
scorching sun, which spoils the colour of many breeds. Pigeons are, it is true, very fond of the 
sun ; but if the sides are open, and furnished with boards for perching and promenading as we 
advise, they can always have this at pleasure, without suffering from that scorching light which does 
the mischief. It is only the paler-coloured reds, yellows, and duns which thus suffer from the sun, 
becoming not only still paler, but mottled in colour all over the body, giving a very unpleasant 
and blotchy appearance. If the colours be a good sound dark red, or a really deep and rich 
yellow, or a dark dun, and the same shade throughout (that is, both shoulders, rump, and thighs 
all one shade of colour) the sun will not injure them at all. 
In a town, however, the aviary will need not only covering, but even protecting at both ends, 
only leaving the front open, whatever colours be kept. If not, it will be almost impossible to keep 
the birds clean ; for in the morning especially the soot will drift or fall into the aviary and cause 
all the plumage to become dirty. Now good plumage is of great importance ; for many judges 
are so partial to it that they will even pass over really fine quality for fine condition ; and if the 
aviary be covered in both on the top and sides, the city fancier will find that he is able to keep his 
birds in almost if not quite as good condition as his country rival, which will abundantly repay 
him the cost of a properly-constructed aviary. 
The best actual arrangement of a loft adapted for a variety of birds which we have yet seen, is 
that fitted up for his own pigeons by Mr. James Wallace, of Burnbank East, Glasgow, by whose 
kind permission we are enabled to give the plans and drawings shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and n, 
which have been prepared for 11s con amove by Mr. Matthew Stuart, another well-known member 
of the fraternity. The arrangements differ in many respects from those we have already given, and 
for that very reason may prove the more fruitful in suggestiveness, being the result of the thought 
and experience of a fancier of thirty-five years’ standing. The building was not specially erected, 
but is in reality the attic of a dwelling-house, though we have represented it as if put up in a garden, 
for the sake of effect. It is equally applicable to either, but perhaps the upper part of a house is 
most suitable, as the peculiar arrangement of the aviary or flight round the roof gives the birds 
plenty of air and exercise, perfectly secure from either thieves or vermin. 
From the perspective and working drawings, the arrangements of this loft will be readily 
understood without detailed references. The total length is forty-seven feet, the width of floor 
eighteen feet, and height of ceiling six and a half feet. On entering the door at the end, the pens 
are right and left along the whole length of the loft, as shown in the interior perspective view 
(Fig. 6). There is both a lower and upper tier of pens, and the loft contains thirteen lower and 
