252 DIARY OF A SPORTSMAN NATURALIST 



breeding season results in the young ones perishing in the 

 nest. The damage resulting is of varying importance. The 

 common practice of bird-liming by the " chirya walla " 

 might almost be looked upon as an occupation or trade. 

 Hundreds of thousands of useful insectivorous birds of the 

 highest economic importance to the agriculturist must be 

 destroyed yearly by this class of bird poacher. Other birds 

 are snared for their plumage or for sale for food purposes. 

 The methods commonly employed are those of the 

 poacher pure and simple. In England such methods are 

 met by prosecution and punishment. It is high time that 

 many of the practices in force against bird life in India 

 should be dealt with in the same way. The following are 

 but a few of the methods in force. 



Pea-fowl 



The Peacock-tail Screen. — The man who thought of this 

 was an ingenious dog. It depends, as in so many other 

 instances in India, upon the natural pugnacity and fighting 

 proclivities of the cocks and a knowledge of how to turn 

 this trait to advantage. A screen or shield is made of the 

 head and tail feathers of the peacock. With this screen and 

 a stout heavy stick the man repairs to a spot in the neigh- 

 bourhood in which he knows pea-fowl abound. As he 

 approaches the locality he holds the shield in front of him 

 with one hand, grasping the stick in the other. The man 

 dances the screen, which completely hides him, up and 

 down, thus making it look like a live cock bird full of fight 

 and ready to take on all comers. The challenge is soon 

 taken up by a wild bird who advances in battle order to 

 fight and when within distance is knocked over by the man. 



The Line of Nooses. — To a long line, which may be as 

 much as two hundred yards in length, wooden pegs are 

 attached at intervals. To each peg is tied a noose of twisted 

 horsehair — the sinews of black buck are also used for the 

 nooses — sixteen inches in diameter. The snarer proceeds 

 with a pony to a spot which he knows to be frequented by 

 pea-fowl. As soon as he sees a cluster of the birds feeding 

 he crouches down behind his pony which continues to walk 

 forward, and pays out his line of nooses, which is carried 

 on the wrist. Each peg is stuck into the ground, the stiff 

 noose projecting vertically upwards. When all the line has 

 been paid out it stretches more or less tautly in a straight 



