NETTING HT ABLINGS. 277 



it is jerked, and folds the nets over the intervening 

 space shown in our iUustration. It is generally a 

 few yards longer than those used for drawing the 

 nets set to catch smaller birds, which are from thirty 

 to forty yards in length. If the man engaged in 

 catching- Starlings can work his nets from behind a 

 hedge, the concealment he enjoys acts considerably 

 to his advantage. 



Half a dozen stuffed Starlings are stuck up all 

 close together, as if busily engaged upon a rare find 

 of grubs in the clear piece of ground between the 

 nets, and a live one called a " Jackey-bird" is secured 

 to what is known amongst the bird-catching fraternity 

 as a " flur " or " playstick," which can be moved up 

 and down by means of a string which the fowler holds 

 in his left hand. 



As soon as a flock of Starlings is seen approach- 

 ing, the "Jackey-bird" is set in motion, and upon 

 espying this, and the little crowd of dummies who 

 are apparently enjoying good things on terra firma, 

 the individuals in the air swoop down to participate 

 in the feast, and are promptly covered by the fcnvler's 

 nets. 



The young fellow to whom the j^^ii' of nets 

 figuring in our illustration belonged, told us that 

 he had once caught twenty-seven dozen Starlings in 

 a single day at a place called "Happy Valley." 

 One morning in August he secured no less than 

 forty-eight birds at a haul, and assured us that they 

 "kicked up" a deafening row by Avay of protest. 



Upon leaving this man we walked over to a 

 favourite piece of ground, where we counted no less 

 than seven sets of nets, spread in such close proximity 

 to each other that it appeared difficult to understand 

 how they could be worked without interfering with 

 each other's sport. 



