ENEMIES OF THE GAME-REARER 



large birds of prey. The traps depicted in the illustration 

 are those of Mr Lane, Eagle Works, Wednesfield, Staffs. 

 Another form of trap is that known as Black's Patent Hawk 

 Trap, in which the birds are caught alive. This consists 

 of a wire cage, with a compartment 2 feet square above and 

 I foot below. In the lower compartment live sparrows are 

 confined. These cage traps should be worked in the spring 

 (March and April) before nesting, and again in August 

 and September. The Hawk enters through a drop lid at 

 the top, which as soon as the Hawk passes in, closes. The 

 trap is placed on four uprights about 2 feet from the ground, 

 and the drop lid then set as shown in the accompanying 

 photograph. 



The larger birds of prey can be dealt with in a similar 

 manner to Hawks, but as they are rather uncommon in the 

 British Isles there is no necessity to enter into consideration 

 of them. 



There is one species of Hawk, known as Montagu's 

 Harrier {Circus Cineraceous), which is one of the few species 

 of Hawks that are known to have the villainous habit of 

 consuming game eggs. 



Hooded Crows [Corvus Comix) 



This bird, as well as the Jay, Jackdaw, Magpie, Nut- 

 cracker, Chough, Carrion Crow, and Raven, all belong to 

 one family, known as the Corvidse, which are characterised 

 by the tail consisting of twelve feathers, powerful curved 

 claw, with the middle toe shorter than the tarsus. They 

 are cosmopolitan, omnivorous, build their nests in trees, 

 walls or rocks, and lay from four to eight eggs, and they 



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