The Illustrated Book of Plgeons. 
274 
quarrelling would occur. Along the front of the trough runs a little piece of wood from end to 
end, covering the open part for about a quarter of an inch in width, so as to prevent the birds from 
scattering the corn ; transverse wires are also of utility in this connection. There must be an 
area for the birds to pass through on leaving or entering the loft. That shown on Fig. 13, p. 25, 
upon the top of the detached house, is of the usual construction, which is more fully seen in the 
illustration upon the preceding page (p. 24). It is useful, also, to have a few bolting wires inside , 
between the area and the loft, so that when a bird comes in it is fastened in the area, and thus is 
easily caught. A few minutes may be soon lost in catching a pigeon when he has joined the others 
Fig. 65. 
in the loft. This loss is avoided by such an arrangement as will keep him out of the loft after he 
has entered the area, if it be so desired. There may be two, three, or four, if light ones, to one 
roller, or there may be three or four pairs of wires hung upon staples, without any wooden rollers 
at all, as shown in Fig. 65. The wires are simply bent at right angles at the top, where the 
staples carry them, and rest inside a beading at the bottom, so that they will open from one side 
only. Buttons of w'ood may be used, or a wire passed through an eyelet, so as to come right 
across all the hanging wires like a bar to a window, or a piece of beading used as a slide on the 
floor, so as to catch the lower ends of the wires, and prevent them from being forced back by the 
bird in the area or in the loft, as the case may be. 
“ If the pigeon-house be in the garden, or in any position in which cats can approach it, a cat- 
proof entrance will be necessary, in order that the entrance to the loft may always be open ; if required, 
without danger from any feline intruder. To accomplish this, let the board, upon which the birds 
alight (when the trap is closed and admission only to be obtained through the boiting wires), be 
carried upon a pair of hinges, and weight the inside end of the board so that it will carry a pigeon 
on the outside end without falling down. To test it, place a I lb. weight upon the outer end, and 
load the inside end until it keeps in position. If the board be broad, say 14 inches or more, then cut 
it down lengthwise, and hinge and load each piece separately, until the required width is attained. 
“ In the sketches given, B represents the front of the loft or area, as the case may be (for some- 
times one has to do without an area outside the loft) ; C the bolting wires, D the lighting boards, 
