So



in the notch, and the spring retains all in position : either stand

on a step or bury in the earth, sprinkling fine breadcrumbs

outside—and large inside the trap : as the bird jumps down he

knocks away the crutch and the lid closes. A small piece of

glass let into the back of the trap is advantageous, as it enables

you to see what you have caught: I used to set these traps over¬

night, and sometimes found various species of mice in them in

the morning.


The caravan-trap is based upon a sixpenny iron hoop with

one portion flattened, so that it represents an elongated D 1

across this, from the two corners to the opposite sides, are bent

two wires arching somewhat and united in the centre; over these

and fastened all round the hoop is string netting. Inside and

loosely wired to the corners of the D at its extremities is an arch

formed of a bent apple-twig or strip of thin cane ; a crutch, and

a second piece of apple-twig complete the trap.


To set this trap the flat back of the D is loosely fastened

to the earth by iron hooks or bent wire ; the crutch is firmly

driven into the earth outside of and just beyond centre of the

ring ; the latter is raised at an angle of about 45 degrees, the

inner ring is also held about two inches above the earth: this is

easily done by inserting one end of the loose apple-twig through

the front of the netting over the fixed crutch, then back and

behind the edge of the lower hoop. Crumbs are thrown inside,

and the birds release the sustaining apple-twig as they pass over

the lower hoop, a touch of the tail being often sufficient.


One advantage of the caravan trap is that it rarely catches

old birds : these are too cunning, and leap clean over the lower

hoop, take a good feed and hop back again. To make sure of

them, in spite of this trick, one has to lay two slender twigs

across from the lower hoop to the centre.


The caravan-trap is admirable for most of our common

garden songsters, but unfortunately one has to watch it constantly

on account of the Starlings. No birds are so utterly foolhardy

as Starlings, and no sooner is your trap set than in they go,

sometimes three together, and seem quite astonished when they

find themselves under a net. I caught thirteen one morning,

turned them all together into a large cage, and in the morning

when they were quieter I selected the three best and let the

others fly ; later I selected the best of the three and kept him

for show : he was the most perfectly-formed Starling I ever saw—

a long close-feathered active snaky bird;—but I did not force

him into colour before his. time, therefore he was ignored in



