BIRD-CALLING. 



By W. A. NICHOLSON. 



The art of attracting wild birds is one little known 

 or understood except by those whose special interest 

 lies in this direction. The bird-catchers, and those 

 who trade in live birds, understand little, if anything, 

 about this subject, and even the bird-catchers them- 

 selves seldom prac- 

 tise it, reiving 

 almost solely upon 

 the live decoys 

 shut up in small 

 cages wherewith to 

 attract their wild 

 companions to the 

 deadly limed twigs. 

 One must be well 

 versed and possess 

 a thorough know- 

 ledge of the notes 

 emitted by birds, 

 besides being 

 acquainted with 

 their habits, before 

 he can employ the 



aid of calls with success, and the pro- 

 fessional bird-catcher is an individual of 

 too indolent a character for this work, 

 which, doubtless, is the principal reason 

 he leaves it severely alone. Those who 

 use bird-calls regularly are the bird- 

 photographer, the field naturalist and 

 the wild-fowler, and all with the one 

 object and main purpose of decoying the 

 species and making them come nearer, 

 the first, to enable him to secure a good 

 negative and larger picture ; the second, 

 to extend his knowledge of the habits of a 

 species ; and the third to secure the 

 specimen. The wild-fowler, however, 

 makes use of few calls, often not more 



Figure 159. Pheasant. Figure 160. Woodpigeon. Figure 161. Wigeon 



Figure 162. Wigeon 

 (improved pattern). 



than six, these usually being those imitating the cry 

 of the wild duck (mallard) (see Figure 167), curlew 

 (see Figure 164), golden plover (see Figure 163), 

 green plover, (see Figure 165), wigeon and teal (see 

 Figures 161, 162 and 171), and often two only are 



regularly carried, 

 these being the 

 calls of the golden 

 plover and curlew . 

 As will be observed 

 from the illustra- 

 tions • which have 

 been reproduced 

 from photographs 

 of various patterns 

 in my possession, 

 that I make use of 

 regularly, there is 

 quite a collection 

 of different kinds, 

 a total of eighteen 

 being here repre- 

 sented. They are 

 all of Continental manufacture, but may 

 be purchased in England from Messrs. 

 Spratt's Patents, Ltd., 24, Fenchurch 

 Street, London, E.C. ; they are by no 

 means expensive in comparison to the 

 pleasure to be enjoyed by their use, and 

 cost from ninepence to three shillings 

 and sixpence each according to make 

 and finish. It is at all times advisable to 

 procure the very best that are made, for 

 the simple reason that with care they give 

 the finest results and will last for many 

 years. As remarked above, the successful 

 use of these calls chiefly depends upon 

 the operator and his practical knowledge 

 of the proper notes emitted by the birds 



Figure 163. 

 Golden 

 Plover. 



Figure 164. 

 Curlew. 



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