244 THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 



timber or woods where there was an open space or few 

 trees. Then the leaves were raked off and the bare 

 ground exposed — generally a damp spot was se- 

 lected. Then this space was sprinkled heavily with 

 salt, and after being treated with it, a stamper was 

 used to stamp it into the ground. Then the bough 

 house was built, the same as for field catching. A 

 spring pole, stiff enough to spring two nets, was in- 

 stalled out in the woods, beyond the nets, about fifty 

 feet distant. Another was installed inside the bough 

 house, then a double line of rope was strung from one 

 pole to the other; these were the 'throw' ropes and to 

 each of them, the front part of the nets were fastened 

 and hauled back to the stakes where the back part of 

 the nets was fastened to the ground, and held there 

 by means of two sticks, with a notch in the ends of 

 them, to receive the ropes. The front side of the nets 

 were then carried back out of line to the back side, 

 when it was folded up and held by the notched sticks 

 which were supported by a stake at the opposite end 

 of the set stick, or the stick which was not notched as 

 stated above, was high enougli at the end of resistance, 

 from the ground, to keep the end supporting the net 

 lying on the ground with the rope. Xow when all this 

 was in readiness, the 'catcher' went home, because, in 

 this method, no stool pigeon or flyers were required. 



''In two or three days, the pigeons had found the 

 salt and began to frequent the place. When they got 



