PIGEONS. 
-<>?<£ 
99 
this latter shelf, a trap, or “aene,” should be affixed, the 
intent and purposes of which I shall presently explain. At 
the upper part of the loft, rough branches should be placed as 
perches in the manner shown in the representation. At about 
four feet from the floor, breeding boxes, according to the 
number of birds intended to be kept, should be securely fixed 
to the wall, care being taken to protect them from rats, &c. 
Some fanciers furnish their boxes with little earthenware 
pans, or small baskets, for the birds to deposit their eggs in; 
although the eggs are not so likely to be broken in the baskets 
as in the pans, the latter, if supplied with straw, are cleaner 
than the baskets; the pans should vary in dimensions, accord¬ 
ing to the class of pigeon for which they are designed. It is 
well to put two of these receptacles in each little room, as the 
hens frequently go to the nest again when their broods are 
about three weeks old, leaving them to the care of their mates. 
Instead of egg boxes, shelves partitioned off, and having 
sliding fronts for the convenience of cleaning, are used; if the 
young fancier intend to keep “ pouters,” the shelves should be 
fourteen inches in breadth, and at least twenty inches apart, so 
that the birds may not acquire the habit of stooping, which 
depreciates their value. 
As pigeons drink differently from most other birds, that is, 
by taking a long-continued draught, like cattle, a fountain, or 
large-bottomed glass bottle, with a tolerably long neck, for water, 
should be provided for their house; it should be placed on a 
small three-legged stool, so that its mouth may incline into an 
earthenware pan, into which the water will trickle slowly, and 
cease when it reaches the level of the mouth of the bottle, and a 
continued supply of fresh water thus be kept up; two or three 
bricks will serve instead of a stool, to give the bottle the neces¬ 
sary elevation. 
To insure the thriving of the birds, the loft and shelves 
should be kept clean, and gravel strown on the floor; indeed, 
gravel must on no account be omitted, as pigeons are exceed¬ 
ingly fond of pecking it. 
<4 The “ aerie” before mentioned, which is fastened on the 1 
