120 ^ird Catching In India. 



Bird-catching in India. 



Bv Douglas Dewar, F.Z.S., I.C.S. 



In India there are certain castes whose only means of 

 livelihood is bird snaring. These are known as bheliyas or 

 chiriya-mars. 



The natives of India usually possess a considerable 

 stock of patience and a full share of ingenuity. Some of the 

 devices whereby birds are snared are extraordinarily in- 

 genious : others make an unending demand on the patience of 

 the operator. I think it will be admitted that the man 

 who has the patience tcj " tish " for Pigeons in a tree by 

 means of a horse-hair noose at the end of a stem of giant 

 grass, until he succeeds in entangling in the noose the leg of a 

 bird, has fairly earned his quarry ! 



Falconry is a pastime largely indulged in in certain 

 parts of the country; in consequence there are hundreds of 

 people who lay themselves out to catch birds of prey. 



Wild raptores are usually trapped in one or other of 

 the following three ways : 



Peregrines and other Falcons are commonly caught by 

 means of a piece of limed cane, about the length of the ex- 

 panse of a Falcon's wing. To the middle of this piece of 

 cane an unfortunate Dove, of which the eyes have been sewn 

 up, is tied. \\'hen the falconer espies a Falcon he throws 

 the Dove, with the piece of cane attached to it, into the air. 

 The Dove flutters about on its wings aimlessly and attracts 

 the attention of the P'alcon. The wings of the bird of prey 

 get caught by the bird-lime, so that it cannot fly. It falls to 

 the ground, bringing the Dove with it, and the Falconer runs 

 up and secures his prize. 



The smaller birds of prey are commonly captured in 

 a net, called a dogaz, baited with a myna. The net in 

 question is abouit a yard broad^; and two yards long. At 

 each end it is attached by its whole breadth to a pole. l£ach 

 pole is stuck into the ground sio that the net stands upright 

 like a lawn-tennis net. Close to it the lure bird is tethered 

 to the ground. It struggles and tries to get away. Its 



