TIME TO CA TCH BIRDS. 2$ 



birds. For birds of passage, impelled by cold and want 

 of food to change their climate, nets should be spread 

 in spring and autumn; erratic birds, which change 

 their place merely in search of food, may be taken, 

 some in winter, some in spring, and others in autumn; 

 those birds which never quit their native place may 

 be taken at any season, but more easily in winter, when 

 they assemble in small flocks. 



" Autumn is the time for taking birds in nets ; some, 

 attracted by a call- bird, or by food, come of their own 

 accord into the trap ; others, as the different species 

 of larks, must be driven to the net : but spring is the 

 best season for employing the decoy, or call-birds, 

 concealed in cages, and also for catching the northern 

 birds on their return from the southern countries to 

 their own. It is the best time for observing the dif- 

 ferent sexes of these birds, for the males always arrive 

 some days, or even a whole week, sooner than the 

 females ; hence it happens that at first the bird-catchers 

 take only the former, while the latter are caught after- 

 wards. March and April are the best months for this 

 sport, which should always be made in the morning 

 from the break of day till nine o'clock, as afterwards 

 the birds are too much engaged seeking their food to 

 listen to the call of the decoy birds. 



" As most of the house birds of the first class are 

 caught in the net, I shall describe the simple manner 

 in which it is done. Some rather strong branches of 

 oak and beech are chosen with their leaves on ; about 

 the space of a foot is cleared of leaves, a foot and a 

 half from the top of the branches, and in this space 

 notches are made for fixing lime twigs: the bush, when 

 thus prepared, must be placed on an eminence in the 

 most frequented part of the birds' path, for birds of 

 passage have fixed roads which they always follow, 

 and in which numbers may be seen, whilst about four 



