Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 1, 1802).djvu/292

262] numbers at any other time. The birds are, generally, on the wing from day-break till noon; and, as they always fly against the wind, there is great contention among the bird-catchers, to obtain the best situation; for example, if the wind be westerly, the person who arranges his nets farthest to the east, uniformly has the greatest success.

The bird-catcher is generally provided with five or six linnets, two gold-finches, two green-finches, one wood-lark, a red-pole, yellow-hammer, and, perhaps, a bull-finch: these are placed at short distances from the nets, in small cages: he has, besides, what are called flur birds, which are fastened to a moveable perch, placed within the net, where they can be raised at pleasure, and gently lowered when the wild bird approaches.

As there is known fo be a superiority between different birds of the same species, with respect to their song, bird-catchers always contrive, that their call-birds may moult before the usual time. This is effected by putting them into a close box for a month, under two or three folds of blankets, and leaving their dung in the cage, to increase the heat. In consequence of premature moulting, the captive bird not only begins to sing at a time when the wild ones are out of song, but his notes likewise are louder and more shrill than theirs.

Having arranged his nets, the bird-catcher disposes the call-birds at proper intervals; as their sight and hearing is infinitely superior to his own. As soon as the wild birds are perceived, notice is given by one of the call-birds to the rest they invite the wild ones by what is called short jerks: this invitation is so strong, that the latter are stopped in their course, and, it frequently happens, that, if half a flock only are caught, the remainder will immediately afterwards alight in the nets.

Nightingales are not birds of flight: like the wren, and other singing birds, they only move from hedge to hedge; and are caught by a trap-net, somewhat larger than a cabbage-net, and the bottom of which is surrounded by an iron ring: the trap is baited with a meal-worm.

The common way of taking larks is by nets, called trammels, which are thirty-six yards long, and six yards broad; they have six ribs of packthread, which are fastened to poles at the ends, about sixteen feet in length. A net thus prepared, is in the night drawn by five or six men over the ground, which it is made to touch at short intervals. When the birds fly up against the net, it is let down, and all under it are taken; such as woodcocks, snipes, partridges, quails, &c. Larks in the day-time are caught in clap-nets, fourteen or fifteen yards long, and two and a half wide. They are enticed by a decoy-lark, and likewise by small fragments of looking-glass fixed in a piece of wood, and placed in the middle of the net, so as to receive a quick and circular motion, by means of a string. This net, however, is employed only till the second week in November, as larks do not sport in the air, except in fine weather. But in gloomy days, the larker changes his engine, and makes use of a trammel-net, about twenty-seven feet long, and five broad; which is fixed on two poles eighteen feet long; and carried by men who, when passing over