178 Pictures of Bird Life 



for the tide achances so rapidly on the Hat sliores. tliat any 

 shooter rash enough to venture alone, without knowing- all 

 the creeks and inequalities behind him, may suddenly find 

 himself cut off by half a mile or so of deep water, and 

 will be lucky if he escapes with his life. 



l*icking our way along in the grey morning light over 

 the slippery mud. and splashing through the pools, ^ve 

 begin at last to be able to see in the distance the long- 

 line of the nearest net, and can soon distinguish various 

 birds suspended in the meshes. On one of the upright 

 stakes sits a fine Peregrine P'alcon, e\-idently attracted by 

 the fiuttering of the captured birds, but too knowing to 

 venture to strike at them. As we advance, she soars into 

 the air and soon disappears. AVe had heard rumours of a 

 large Hawk about the shore a day or Uxo before. 



The nets are from two hundred to three hundred feet 

 in length, each piece six feet high and thirty-five yards 

 long, suspended between upright stakes driven into the 

 mud. As soon as a bird strikes the net. which is made 

 of very fine twine, and with a large mesh, it is entangled, 

 and the more it struggles the more hopelessly it becomes 

 bound. Sometimes, indeed, it is no easy task even for a 

 practised hand to free it from the toils. The nets must 

 be \isited at daybreak : for if left, the Grey Crows will find 

 them, and help themselves to the smaller birds, and to 

 those which have been caught in the lower meshes and 

 drowned by the adAancintr tide. 



After visiting four or Hve nets, the round taking us 



