540 



BIRD-CATCHING BIRDS' NEST. 



region of birds ; and wander about the face of the 

 cliff in si-arch of them. They tlti-u net in pairs ; one 

 fastens himself to tin- end of hi- a^-oeiate's rope, and, 

 in places where binls have ne.sthtl lienealh his foot- 

 ing, he permits himself to be lowered dmwi. dcpi iul- 

 ing for his security on the .strength of his companion, 

 who lias to haul him up again ; hit it sometimes 

 happens that the person alxne i. overpowered by the 

 weight, and both inevitably perish. They fling the 

 fowl into the boat which attends their motions and 

 n reives the booty. They often pass seven or eight 

 days in this tremendous employ, and lodge in the 

 cr.iimies which tlu-y find in the face of the preci- 

 pice. 



In some remote parts of Russia, there is practised 

 /.ilar invention for taking ;.rciil quantities of 

 gelinoites or grouse. They choose the most open 

 in the birch woods ; and there they plant long 

 forks in the earth opposite the burger trees. On 

 Uiese fork* is laid n horizontal stick, gallows-wise, to 

 which are tied small bundles of ears of corn. At 8 

 small distance from this part of the contrivance, is a 

 kind of large funnel, or inverted cone, made with 

 long birch twigs, thin and flexible, the lower extre- 

 mities ot 'which air stuck in the earth, very near to 

 one another; but by spreading towards the top, 

 form there an opening of above a yard in diameter. 

 In this opening is placed a wheel, made of twocircles 

 that intersect each other, and are surrounded with 

 straw and tars of com. This wheel turns on an axis 

 fi-tencd to the sides of the funnel, in such a manner, 

 that there is room enough between the sticks of the 

 cone and circles to admit of the wheel's turning freely 

 alu'iit. The birds first perch upon the transverse 

 stick near the tree ; and when they have a mind to 

 fall upon the com tied to the wheel, they must ne- 

 cessarily stand upon one of the projecting parts of 

 the circles of which it is composed. At that instant, 

 the wheel turns, and the gelinotte falls, head fore- 

 most, to the bottom of the trap, which is there so 

 contracted that he cannot get out. They sometimes 

 find the machine half full of gelinottes. 



The following method of netting or catching wild 

 pigeons is eagerly pursued as a diversion in different 

 parts of Italy, particularly by the inhabitants of Cava 

 in the Hither Principato, and is thus described by 

 Mr Swinburne. The people " assemble in parties; 

 and if any stranger chance to stray to their rendez- 

 vous, give him a most cordial welcome. I am not 

 in the least surprised," says Mr Swinburne, " at their 

 passionate fondness for this sport, as I found it ex- 

 tremely bewitching, keeping the attention constantly 

 alive, and the springs of the mind pleasingly agitated 

 by expectation ; the situations where the toils are 

 spread are incomparably beautiful, the air is pure and 

 balsamic, and every thing around breathes health and 

 satisfaction. When the periodical flights of stock- 

 doves return from the northern and western parts of 

 Europe to gain warmer regions for their winter abode, 

 the fowler repairs to the mountain, and spreads his 

 nets across the intermediate hollows, the passes 

 through which the birds direct their course, to avoid 

 unnecessary elevation in their flight. These nets are 

 hung upon a row of large trees planted for the pur- 

 pose. The branches being very thick and close at 

 top, and the trunk lofty and bare, a great opening is 

 left below for the toils, which reach to the ground ; 

 and, by means of pulleys, fall in a heap with the least 

 effort. Sometimes they are extended upon poles that 

 exceed the height of the trees. At a small distance, 

 is a lofty circular turret, like a column with a little 

 capital or cap, upon which a man is stationed to 

 watch the approach of the game. As he commands 

 B free view over all the country, and practice has 

 made his sight as acute as that of the lynx, he des- 



cries the birds at a wonderful distance. The doves 

 advance with great velocity; but the alert watch* 

 man is prepared tor them ; and just as they approach 

 hi-, post, hurls a stone above them with a sling : upon 

 this, the whole flock, whose fears have birds of prey 

 for their great object, supposing the Mone to be an 

 enemy of that kind ready to pounce upon them, dart 

 down like lightning to shun the blow by passim; under 

 the trees ; but there they rush into the jaw-, ot' death. 

 by dashing against the net, which instantly drops, and 

 so entangles them, that not one of them can e-< n; < 

 the active hands of the fowler. These birds ant 

 sometimes taken by dozens at one fall, and are ac. 

 counted fine eating. The dexterity with which the 

 slingers manage their weapon is very remarkable ; 

 they throw the stone to a great height, without any 

 violent effort, and without whirling the sling round 

 before they discharge the pellet. In the Pyn-nean 

 mountains, where the same diversion is followed, the 

 watchman uses a bow and arrow, trimmed with the 

 feathers of a hawk." For the capture of water-fowl, 

 see Decoy. 



BIRD, Edward (R. A.) ; an English painter who 

 died at Bristol, in November, 1819. He excelled in 

 comic subjects. The marquis of Stafford patronised 

 him. He was appointed historical painter to the 

 princess Charlotte of Wales. 



BIRD ISLAND ; the name of a very large number of 

 islands in almost all the parts of the world, of which 

 we mention only the following : B. Islands ; a 

 cluster near the N. E. coast of New Holland, so call- 

 ed by captain Cook. They are almost covered with 

 birds B. /., in the S. Pacific ocean ; Ion. 216 24' 

 E. ; lat. 17 4S 7 $. B. /., in the gulf of St Lawrence; 

 Ion. 60 45' W. ; lat. 47 66' N. Another in the 



S. Pacific ocean ; Ion. 38 22' W. ; lat. 54 S One in 



the northern part of the same ocean ; Ion. 198 8' E. ; 

 lat. 23 & N. B. Islands ; a cluster of islands in the 

 Caribbean sea ; Ion. 66" 60 W. ; lat. 12 N. The 

 name Bird island is as common, and as vague, us 

 that of Blue mountains, &c. 



BIRDLIME exudes spontaneously from certain 

 plants, and is obtained artificially from the middle 

 bark of the holly. Its colour is greenish, its flavour 

 sour, and it is gluey, shining, and tenacious. The 

 natural is more adhesive than the artificial birdlime. 



BIRDS. See Ornithology. 



BIRDS-EYE VIEW. See Drawing. 



BIRDS' NEST. The hirundo esculenta, or salangane, 

 a species of swallow, the nests of which are used as 

 an article of luxury among the Chinese, is found in 

 the Indian seas. They are particularly abundant in 

 Sumatra, especially about Croe, near the south end of 

 the island. The nest has the shape of a common 

 swallow's nest, is about the size of a goose's egg, is 

 found in caves, particularly on the sea-shore^ and 

 has the appearance of fibrous, imperfectly concocted 

 isinglass. More or less of this substance is contained 

 in the nests of all swallows of that region. The 

 manner in which this substance is procured is not as- 

 certained. The most probable suppositions are, th;;t 

 it is the spawn of fish gathered by the bird, or a se- 

 cretion elaborated in the body of the animal. The 

 Chinese collect the nests, and sell them to all parts 

 of the world. Dissolved in broths, c., they make a 

 delicious gelly. The finest are those obtained before 

 the nest has been contaminated by the young birds ; 

 they are pure white, and are scarce and valuable. 

 The inferior ones are dark, streaked with blood, or 

 mixed with feathers : they are chiefly converted into 

 glue. Some of the caverns, in which they are built, 

 are difficult of access, and dangerous to climb, so that 

 none can collect the nests but persons accustomed to 

 the trade from their youth. 



The following account of the traffic in these birds* 



