44 
REARING AND MANAGEMENT OF PIGEONS. 
great advantage and comfort to them. The cot should he fixed in a 
warmish spot, out of the “blow” of cold east and northeast or northwest 
winds, and the pole upon which it is elevated should have a circular plate¬ 
ring half-way up, to keep the cats and vermin from ascending. The top of 
the cask may be thatched or boarded, and should come well over the holes 
and sides of the cot. 
Should the young fancier not be ingenious enough to construct such a 
dove-cot, which is one of the best we can recommend, he may content him¬ 
self with one after the following fashion, which, 
with its compartments, may be fixed up against the 
south or southwest side of a stable, barn, or out¬ 
house. Here the birds generally do very well, but 
the outside should be well secured, and painted 
several times over with black paint, and the foot, 
or alighting places, slightly slanted, so that the 
water or rain may not lodge in them, but run off 
to the ground outside. This inclination of the footboards must, however, be 
very slight, or it will be disagreeable to the birds. The whole must be ap¬ 
proached by a ladder, which ought not to be permanently attached to the 
cot, or it will be a means for the depredation of cats and vermin. 
It sometimes happens that a spare loft or 
room presents itself to the young pigeon- 
fancier, which may be made use of for a 
pigeon-house. When this is the case, it can 
easily be filled up with long pigeon-boxes, 
which may be arranged round the sides. The means for exit and re-entrance 
must be first thought of, and if no window is in the loft, two holes must be 
made in the wall, at about five feet from the floor, each sufficiently large to 
admit a pigeon through easily. A shelf must also be fastened both inside 
and outside of these openings, and on the outside shelf a trap or aerie should 
be affixed, the intent and purpose of which we shall presently explain. 
Perches may also be placed across the roof of the building, upon which 
the birds may rest to preen themselves, as at 
A. The boxes may be arranged at the gable 
end and at the sides of the building, at the 
height of about eight feet from the ground, 
b, b , and a short ladder should be kept in 
the building, for the purpose of getting at 
them. The cells should be at least a foot 
square. In this arrangement, water may 
be constantly kept in a large clean pan, 
which should have some large stones put in 
it, to prevent the birds from splashing it about. 
As to the compartments, or nests, every one must be furnished with a 
pan, box, or straw basket, of a size adapted to the pigeons for which they 
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