26 BIRD- CA TCH1NG. 



hundred paces distant not one can be met with. These 

 tracks generally follow the mountains which border on 

 valleys. It is on these mountains then that the decoy 

 bush must be placed ; it must then be garnished with 

 lime twigs, placed in an inclined position, and beneath 

 on the ground must be put the decoy birds, covering 

 their cages with brandies of fir or any other tree, so 

 that the birds cannot see one another, as that would 

 prevent the birds of passage from stopping, and the 

 others from calling. 



" Decoy birds taken wild are prefered to those reared 

 from the nest, for these never know the call-note well, 

 or at least do not repeat it often enough. 



" One of the best modes of catching is by what is 

 called the water-irap; all kinds of birds may be caught 

 by it, and there is always a choice. This sport is very 

 agreeable in the hot summer days, for you have only 

 to sit quietly under the thick shade of the foliage by 

 the side of a running stream. A net of three, four, or 

 six feet long, and three or four wide, according to the 

 size of the place, must be spread over a trench made 

 on purpose to receive the water. Some sticks of about 

 an inch thick must be put into the trench level with 

 the water, to which hoops are fixed to prevent the net 

 from getting wet by falling into the water ; the rest of 

 this little canal must be covered with branches. If the 

 place be well chosen it will be surrounded during the 

 day with numbers of different birds. This sport may 

 be carried on from the 24th of July till October, from 

 the rising to the setting of the sun. 



" When the ivater-trap can be set near a forest, in 

 a grove of pines and firs, near quickset hedges and 

 gardens, or in the middle of a meadow, wood or field 

 birds may be caught at the same time. For the sake 

 of convenience, small cages are made which can be 

 folded up and put into the pocket. Thej- only serve, 



