CHAPTER XLV. WINGED VERMIN. 



TAKING MAGPIES AND JAYS. 



THE magpie is the most uncertain bird to take we know 

 of; it is undoubtedly more wary, though less shy, than 

 any other of the winged vermin, but, in addition, is pos- 

 sessed of more curiosity and daring inquisitiveness. We 

 have on many occasions trusted solely to its mere curiosity 

 to effect captures, and have often succeeded when the 

 magpies came prying and peeping into the corner where 

 we were busily employed. The jay, on the other hand, 

 although possessed of some amount of inquisitiveness, is a 

 sly, wary bird, and invariably evinces often with very 

 good cause considerable distrust in the movements of 

 men. 



Before proceeding to discuss the best way to employ 

 traps with a view to the capture either of magpies or 

 jays, it may be advisable to devote some attention to the 

 relative merits and distinctive features of the traps most 

 suitable. We have endeavoured, so far, to draw some 

 distinction between the gins most adapted to the different 

 birds, and in such wise that those mentioned as suitable 



