OF THE SPARROW KIND. 



131 



nions with the most watchful resentment ; and 

 we seldom find two male tenants in the same 

 hedge together. 



Thus, though fitted by Nature for the most 

 wandering lii'e, these little animals do not 

 make such distant excursions, during the sea- 

 son of their stay, as the stag or the leveret. 

 Food seems to be the only object that puts 

 them in motion, and when that is provided for 

 them in sufficient plenty, they never wander. 

 But as that is seldom permanent through the 

 year, almost every bird is then obliged to 

 change its abode. Some are called birds of 

 passage, because they are obliged to take long 

 journeys for this purpose ; but, strictly speak- 

 ing, almost every other kind are birds of pas- 

 sage, though their migration may not be to 

 places so remote. At some particular season 

 of the year all small birds migrate either from 

 one country to another, or from the more in- 

 land provinces towards the shore. 



There are several persons who get a liveli- 

 hood by watching the seasons when our small 

 birds begin to migrate from one country to 

 another, and by taking them with nets in 

 their passage. The birds are found to fly, as 

 the bird-catchers term it, chiefly during the 

 month of October, and part of September and 

 November. There is also another flight in 

 March, which is much less considerable than 

 that in autumn. Nor is it less remarkable, 

 that several of these species of flight-birds 

 make their appearance in regular succession. 

 The pippet, for instance, begins his flight 

 every year about Michaelmas, when they are 

 caught in greatest number. To this the wood- 

 lark succeeds, and continues its flight till to- 

 wards the middle of October ; other birds fol- 

 low, but are not so punctually periodical ; the 

 greenfinch does not begin till the frost obliges 

 it to seek for a change. These birds, during 

 those months, fly from day-break till twelve 

 noon ; and there is afterwards a small flight 

 from two till night. Such are the seasons of 

 the migration of the birds, which have been 

 usually considered as stationary, and on these 

 occasions they are caught in great abundance, 

 as they are on their journey. But the same 

 arts used to allure them upon other occasions 

 would be utterly fruitless, as they avoid the 

 nets with the most prudent circumspection. 

 The autumnal flight probably consists of the 

 parents conducting their new-fledged young to 

 those places where there is sufficient provision, 

 and a proper temperament of the air during 

 the winter season ; and their return in spring 

 is obviously from an attachment to the place 

 which was found so convenient before for the 

 mrposes of nestling and incubation. 



Autumn is the principal season when the 

 bird-catcher employs his art to catch these 

 wanderers. His nets are a most ingenious 



piece of mechanism, being generally twelve 

 yards and a half long, and two yards and a 

 half wide, and so contrived as from a flat po- 

 sition to rise on each side, and clap over the 

 birds that are decoyed to come between them. 

 The birds in their passage are always ob- 

 served to fly against the wind ; hence there is 

 a great contention among the bird-catchers 

 which shall gain the wind ; for example, if it is 

 westerly, the bird-catcher who lays his nets to 

 the east is sure of the most plentiful sport, if 

 his call-birds are good. For this purpose he 

 generally carries five or six linnets, two gold- 

 finches, two green-finches, one wood-lark, one 

 red-poll, and perhaps a bull-finch, a yellow- 

 hammer, a tit-lark, and an aberdavine : these 

 are placed at small distances from the nets in 

 little cages. He has besides what he calls his 

 flur-birds , which are placed upon a movable 

 perch, which the bird-catcher can raise at 

 pleasure by means of a string ; and these he 

 always lifts gently up and down as the wild 

 bird approaches. But this is not enough to 

 allure the wild bird down ; it must be called 

 by one of the call-birds in the cages ; and 

 these, by being made to moult prematurely in 

 a warm cage, call louder and better than those 

 that are wild and at freedom. There even ap- 

 pears a malicious joy in these call-birds to 

 bring the wild ones into the same state of 

 captivity, while at the same time their call is 

 louder, and their plumage brighter, than in a 

 state of nature. Nor is their sight or hearing 

 less exquisite, far exceeding that of the bird- 

 catcher; for the instant the wild birds are 

 perceived, notice is given by one to the rest of 

 the call birds, who all unite in the same tu- 

 multuous ecstacy of pleasure. The call-birds 

 do not sing upon these occasions as a bird 

 does in a chamber, but incite the wild ones by 

 short jerks, which, when the birds are good, 

 may be heard at a great distance. The al- 

 lurement of this call is so great that the wild 

 bird hearing it, is stopped in its most rapid 

 flight ; and, if not already acquainted with the 

 nets, lights boldly within twenty yards per- 

 haps of the bird-catcher, and on a spot which 

 it would otherwise have quite disregarded. 

 This is the opportunity wished for, and the 

 bird-catcher pulling a string, the nets on each 

 side rise in an instant, and clap directly down 

 on the poor little unsuspecting visitant. Nay, 

 it frequently happens, that it half a flock only 

 are caught, the remaining half will immedi- 

 ately afterwards light between the nets, and 

 share the fate of their companions. Should 

 only one bird escape, this unhappy survivor 

 will also venture into danger till it is caught; 

 such a fascinating power have the call-birds. 



Indeed, it is not easy to account for the na- 

 ture of this call, whether it be a challenge to 

 combat, an invitation to food, or a prelude to 



