SEPTEMBER IN SROADLAND. . 91 



Let us describe the bird-man's surroundings and his stock-in-trade. Furze- 

 bushes and thistles dot the outlook for several acres. On an open space two huge 

 oblong nets are so spread that when ( pulled,' by connecting cords and stakes, the 

 area between them is covered by the turning over of the twain. Inside are spread 

 a quantity of chickweed and other dainties beloved of linnets, which form his 

 principal catches. Upon a couple of long twig-levers a linnet and a goldfinch are 

 generally fastened. A piece of kid glove, cut something like a pair of braces, and 

 known as such, is placed around each bird, and by means of an eyelet below, each 

 is fastened to the stick. The jerking of these up and down attracts the passing 

 migrants. Around the net are placed little sentry-boxes of cages in which flutter 

 a well-trained series of linnets, goldfinches, siskins, and such-like, each of whom, 

 saluting the wild individuals of its species, too often unwittingly lures them into 

 a like captivity. 



And now the man finds he has a tongue, and to a question or two gives 

 somewhat evasive answers ; but presently, over a well-filled pipe, thaws into con- 

 versation, and becomes communicative. 



'What bards du I usually ketch? Wai, 'bor, it's mostly linnets that I'm 

 arter, but I ain't perticlar if I can trap a few draw-waters (gold-finches) as well, 

 which pay better 'an any others; aberdivines (siskins) an' redpoles they pay for 

 theketchin' tu. But law! theer ain't neer the bards theer wor when I was a 

 youngster, not of the sort as I want, anyhow. Why, I've ketcht eight an' ten 

 dozen cock linnets in a mornin' where I takes only one or tew nowadays. I s'pose 

 the choppin' up of fuzz-bushes by the knock-a-ball golfers ha' cleared out some of 

 their breedin' places, I know for sartin they hev at Yarmith, where ketchin's about 

 done for, and maybe us fellers, though I say it myself, have summat reduced the 

 stock; and no wonder, when yereckin up the hundreds of thousands we've trapped, 

 say, for the last ten yeer. Look at them draw-waters why, they've come as scarce 

 as lion-shillin's where they used tu be as common as sparrers. 



* But keep yow quiet ; here's suffin a comin' ' And ' suffin ' does come, but 

 refuses every call and enticement to enter the fatal area; after wheeling round 

 once or twice the parcel of wary birds fly onward. 



'They've bin pulled at afore, and ha' growed artful. What du I du with my 

 bards ? Wai, I hev reg'lar buyers up in Whitechapel as takes all I like to send 

 'em, at so much the dozen. One feller takes every mortal thing I like to send 

 him gong-bards, and any other sort as is stupid enuf to patternize my nets. An' 

 I've ketcht a rummen or tew in my time. Theer's one or tew folks as collects bards 



