THE WOOD-PIGEON 193 



in winter, and particularly during the shrouding of the ground in 

 snow, is not very drastic, as the birds are singularly wary and not 

 easy to come at within gun -range ; even then a good shot is not 

 always sure of killing and dropping on his ground. On a train 

 in a wood as many as twenty-six wood-pigeons have been killed 

 or wounded, so as to be captured, by one discharge of the gun. This 

 indicates the advantage of the train of the gamekeeper over the 

 farmer at the latter's expense. 



As trains are hardly feasible in fields owing to the difficulty of 

 securing concealment for the gunner, the following method for cap- 

 turing wood-pigeons may be adopted : 



" In a small field, about 100 yards from the hedge, make an en- 

 closure of wire-netting, say 20 ft. by 12 ft. and 6 ft. high, more 

 or less netting also over top, with a door so constructed than when 

 pulled by wire it easily drops shut. Sprinkle maize about door and 

 close to inside for several days until pigeons come readily to feed, 

 in the morning mostly, and have got accustomed to feed inside 

 enclosure, then the watcher pulls wire and you bag the lot. Choose 

 a field with a high hedge or other cover sufficient to hide the person 

 who drops the door." 



Obviously this trap would be improved by having a door at both 

 ends and one or more at each side, and so contrived that when a 

 catch or catches were liberated by one pull of the wire all the doors 

 quickly drop shut. Possibly tanned netting affixed to portable 

 iron standards as employed for boundaries of lawn-tennis coverts 

 and netted over top when about to catch, leaving open whilst bait- 

 ing, the open ends being closed by the dropping of poles with netting 

 affixed would answer in places where concealment for the wire or 

 cord-puller was present is provided. 



UriLled, BristiecL. After Ste ep ina 



FIG. 113. THE BRISTLED PEA. 



A gamekeeper advises the " bristled pea," Fig. 113, for capture of 

 wood-pigeons by hand as follows : " Drill a hole through a pea, 

 field-pea for preference, with a " bit " so fine as to make a hole 

 through to admit a bristle and standing out on both sides about 

 J-in. Steep the peas so prepared overnight in warm water, and 

 the ends of the bristles not projecting more than J-in., they are 

 ready for use, otherwise shorten to that length. With a number 

 of such bristled peas scattered on a train that has been well baited 



B.N. o 



