88/28/1-4

This is a circular, metal nest box for a canary, with three small, blue dummy eggs. It was used in an aviary to encourage canaries to nest and breed. It is part of the Lucas Collection of objects and documents donated to the Museum by Mr Lucas, a farmer and dairyman from Reading, Berkshire.

1 nest box and 3 dummy eggs: metal; good condition

MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) – 'Standard museum name: NEST BOX // Accession number: 88/28/1-4 // Classification: LIVESTOCK // Negative number: 60/15477 // Acquisition method: GIFT // Acquired from, date: H. B. LUCAS, [...], 10 June 1988 // Store: small object // Condition: good // Recorder, date: JMB 1.3.89 // Description: Metal nest box for a canary. It is circular in shape with a perforated base and some (8) ventilating holes in the sides. It has a triangular protrusion with a fixing plate on one side. This is broken. // There are three small blue dummy eggs inside the nest box. // Dimensions: Height: 6.0cm Diameter: 11.0cm // Eggs: 1.0cm x 1.5cm. // Associated information: Used in an aviary to encourage canaries to nest and breed. // References:', MERL Miscellaneous note, Greta Bertram, 19 February 2014 – The Lucas Collection contains objects (88/23–88/43) and documents (D90/8/1–21) donated by Mr H. B. Lucas, a farmer and dairyman. Mr Lucas kept chickens, cows and pigs on his smallholding in Whitley Wood Road, Reading, and retired in 1971. The Lucas family farmed in a small way at Lane End Farm in Shinfield, Reading, from the end of the nineteenth century. Mr Lucas’ grandfather built Lane End House, and brought threshing machines to Berkshire, and his uncle was a threshing tackle contractor with premises opposite the farm. The objects in the Collection were used by Mr Lucas on his smallholding and in conjunction with his dairy business. The documents (now in the MERL Archives) consist of show catalogues for poultry and fancier's associations, prize certificates for eggs and poultry, record cards for egg production and newspaper cuttings about shows.

Nesting box, Egg, dummy