82 THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 



form the ambush of two men, set their net at one edge 

 of the bared ground, tied "'stool-pigeons" to stakes in 

 the ground, scattered corn and buckwheat around them 

 to complete the "bed" that was ready for victims, and 

 retired to the shade of their ambush to await the flocks 

 of the morning flight. The net was fastened at one, 

 square side to the ground and had weights of lead at- 

 tached to the other three sides, with springs to throw 

 it over the bed, whenever the controlling ropes,- held 

 by the men, should be given quick pulls, as the pigeons 

 that alighted were picking up the grain. 



The stool-pigeons were captured wild pigeons, with 

 eyelids sewn together, so they were blind for the time 

 being, tied with strings, two or three yards long, so 

 they could fly up a little and drop down again upon 

 the bed when they heard the flocks above their heads, 

 thus attracting the passing pigeons to alight and par- 

 take of the grain around them, which they also sa'w 

 and desired. A few hundred would alight and crowd 

 together on the bed as they hastily picked up the ker- 

 nels of corn and then the smaller buckwheat, too ab- 

 sorbed to notice the net as it was sprung over them. 

 Their heads, raised through the meshes of the net, 

 were then pinched between thumb and finger or 

 crushed, bv the teeth of the men. 



From the Record and Star, Watsontown, Pennsyl- 

 vania, July 13. 1917. Lew C. Fosnot. the editor, in 

 describing a driving trip through the Pennsylvania 

 mountains in which he had recently participated, says: 



