BIRD NOTES 71 



being blinded, soon came to grief; occasionally they 

 would strike the ground with sufficient force to stun 

 themselves, and so become an easy capture. 



On one occasion a gunner named Hurr was out 

 shooting at the harbour mouth when he espied a 

 Glaucous Gull, which persistently kept out of gun- 

 shot. Having a ball of string in his pocket, he pro- 

 ceeded to make a "hake" as follows: Picking up 

 a stranded herring, he cut it down the back like 

 a kipper, and removed the backbone and entrails, 

 filling the space thus made with a piece of cork 

 float which, with herrings, are usually to be found 

 in that locality in the fishing season. Having closed 

 the fish and roughly fastened it together, he attached 

 a piece of string weighted at the end with a stone. 

 Another and longer cord was attached thereto, to 

 be held by the hand. A couple of fish-hooks were 

 then fastened to the fish, and the bait slung out just 

 beyond the breakers, Hurr running to hide behind 

 some fish baskets stranded on the beach. The 

 Glaucous Gull, espying the herring, swooped down 

 upon it, when one hook, instead of fastening into the 

 throat of the bird, caught it by the nostrils, and it 

 was easily hauled ashore and secured. "Hakes" 

 were not rare traps at that period. 



