PIGEONS. 307 



At a small village called Gerde, about a league from 

 Bagnere de Bigorres, in the Pyrenees, a mode somewhat 

 similar is adopted, from the middle of September to the 

 middle of November, which attracts the notice, and is 

 resorted to as a favourite amusement, by those who visit 

 that beautiful country. Large nets are stretched across- 

 the end of a narrow valley and made fast to trees. Three 

 tall spars, nearly fifty feet in height, are reared in a tri- 

 angular form, meeting in a point at the summit, where 

 a sort of nest of bushes is made, in which a person con- 

 ceals himself, ascending the high poles by small pegs, 

 which, as they shake under his weight, are as slender as 

 possible, consistently with strength, appears to lookers-on 

 to be a service of no small risk. Two men are also 

 concealed in bushes near the nets, which, by means of 

 lines, they are enabled to throw over the Pigeons as 

 they advance ; while others, assembled on the heights 

 immediately above, frighten the birds and force them to 

 fly downwards as they pass through the channel of the 

 valley. When all have taken their positions, they wait 

 patiently and silently the arrival of a flock of Pigeons. 

 Their approach is announced by a rushing sound, orr 

 hearing which the people on the heights pour upon them 

 a volley of short sticks, which compel them to lower 

 their flight towards the ground, when, if they attempt 

 to rise, the man in the nest immediately begins shaking 

 his airy perch as much as possible, and throwing upon 

 the affrighted birds, sticks tied together in the form of 

 a cross, which make a whizzing sound as they fall. 

 Impelled by this united attack, the Pigeons rush forward 

 to the head of the gorge, and there meet their fate in 

 the nets which stop their progress. By this means some- 

 times as many as two hundred are caught at once. 



The American Wild Pigeons, as well as our common 

 Wood Pigeons (Columba cenas and palwnba), the Stock. 

 Dove and Ring Dove, usually build in trees ; but not 

 always, for in many situations they prefer holes in rocks 

 and precipices, and even in some cases old rabbit-bur- 



