THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 125 



Opposite was secured to a long, stout rope which was 

 stretclied very tight between two stakes seventy-five 

 or or a hundred feet apart, one of them being at the 

 "bough-house," or hiding place of the fowler. This 

 rope was drawn back to -the rear one and held there 

 with latches, and the whole net was also rolled back 

 tc the ropes, leaving the entire bed free of everything 

 except the stool pigeon and the stool. 



Grain was scattered over the bed for the birds to 

 pick at until they were all settled. The bough-house 

 was usually made of pine boughs or small pine trees 

 stuck in the ground, completely hiding the fowler from 

 sight, and was large enough for several persons to 

 _ stand in. By pulling a string the latches were released 

 and the rope, in assuming its direct position between 

 the stakes, instantly spread the net to its full extent 

 over the feeding ground. 



The decoys for enticing the birds to their destruc- 

 tion were a ''flier" and a stool pigeon. The flier was a 

 live bird secured by a long cord attached to a leg. and 

 when a flock was seen in the distance the bird was 

 cast from the hand. It immediately flew o^f to the 

 full length of the cord, and then slowly settled to the 

 ground; and if the flying birds saw it and made a 

 move to approach, the stool-pigeon was ''hovered" to 

 keep up the attraction until they were brought to 

 the bed. 



The stool-pigeon was a Ijird selected for its good 

 points, and was usually one that had been kept from 

 the catch of the previous migrating season. I have 



