INVISIBLE APPROACH. 393 



over which birds may repeat their flight, like swallows 

 or bats, and be as wise at last as they were at first. 

 It is simply a little frame, on wheels, made of good and 

 well seasoned ash, and thereon placed a moderate sized 

 stanchion gun ; the recoil of which is taken by a long 

 rope-breeching, that closes a spiral spring, in order to 

 ease the frame, and thereby enable you to have it light. 

 You have only to lash down the but of the gun, so as 

 to elevate the muzzle, and the machine may be wheeled 

 about like a barrow, or " towed" behind any kind of 

 vehicle. 



To approach birds lean with your chest and elbows 

 on the sacking, and go on your knees, having, of course, 

 knee-caps or water-boots, till you get within about a 

 hundred and fifty yards of your fowl ; then crawl into 

 your shell, so far as to leave out only yo\\y feet; and 

 work on with them. But, as this is rather harder labour, 

 you may leave it till absolutely necessary. Be careful 

 to approach as slowly as possible for the last fifty yards ; 

 and, if you see birds looking up wild, lie quiet, and wait 

 till their heads are down again, before you move on. 



This machine may be covered with boughs, &c., or 

 masked, in front, with the skin of a sheep, deer, or what 

 you please ; and the birds will then let you approach 

 them as well as if you were some harmless quadruped. 

 (I would allow the critic to say " an ass" if the thing 

 had not answered most admirably ; as many people who 

 have seen it can prove.) This invention being difficult 

 to explain, and the subject a dull one to write on, I 

 will now give three views of it, which were taken by 

 Mr. Cornelius Varley, with his admirable invention, 

 the patent " graphic telescope" 



I have added a little " approach," or Birnam wheel- 



