278 



WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



BIRD-CALL. 



Bird-catchers generally work in pairs, and whilst 

 one man attends to the nets the otlier heats the 



adjoining ground in order 

 to send the hirds towards 

 his companion, Avho imitates 

 their call to perfection with a 

 little tin instrument made in 

 the form of a tlattish drum 

 witli a hole through the 

 centre. This is placed be- 

 tween the caller's lips, and the 

 desired notes reproduced by 

 forcing the breath quickly tln'ough it. Mr. Sways- 

 land astonished me Ijy his skill in fetching flocks 

 of Larks in full flight from considerable altitudes to 

 the ground with 

 it, and quickly 

 taught me how 

 to use it with 

 effect. 



We next vis- 

 ited a man who 

 had his nets 

 spread along a 

 steepish hillside. 

 He had seven 

 call-birds, con- 

 sisting of two 

 Linnets, a Gold- 

 finch, Greenfinch, 

 Chafiinch, Siskin, 

 and Redpoll, 

 each in a small 



green cage, disposed as represented in our illustra- 

 tion on ])age 270. He had also four ''.hickey- 

 l)irds," attached to play sticks situated between the 



CALL-BIRD CAGE. 



