274 



Be that as it may, the thing is a thorough success, 

 and, of course, I don't mind what strangers think. 



I will now tell you how to proceed. From vSeptember 

 to the middle of October is the best time to get them, as 

 the birds are then almost clean moulted, and there are 

 plenty of small insects, such as spiders, small flies, 

 moths, etc., still to be got, to feed them on when caught. 

 Get a light, five-jointed fishing rod : to the end of the 

 top joint fasten a straight piece of wire (steel), as thick 

 as the ordinary wire used for cage fronts ; file off the 

 wire gradually, until the end, which will be farthest from 

 the rod when fixed, is not thicker than a horsehair; on 

 this part of the wire place a very little holly-bark lime; 

 the wire being steel and filed so thin, the result is that, 

 as soon as you touch the bird, and it flutters in its 

 endeavour to escape, the wire springs backwards and 

 forwards with it, so that its chances of escape are verv 

 remote. As soon as your rod is fixed together, and the 

 wire limed at the tip, take a ramble in any good-sized 

 wood of larch firs, or, in fact, any species of fir, and 3'ou 

 will not be long before you come across the Gold-crests, 

 which are almost certain to be accompanied by several 

 Tits and Creepers ; stand quietly, and you will soon 

 see a Gold Crest hanging to the outside bough of a 

 tree, or perhaps on a fir cone, but the next minute 

 he will be on another branch ; hold the rod up, and 

 quietly follow him until you get the wire fairly close to 

 the bird ; don't attempt to dab the wire on him until 

 you have a clear view of him ; as soon as 3'ou get the 

 wire within three or four inches of the bird, quickly dab 

 the wire against him, and I will forgive him if he gets 

 away. 



These birds are very fearless, so much so that I have 

 on several occasions had to disjoint my rod, and have 

 used merely the top joint, wherewith to catch the bird. 

 If he should be on a low bough, use two joints of the 

 rod : as he works higher up the tree, you can add another 

 joint, and so on. I need hardly sa}^ that the operator 

 requires a very steady arm. 



