290 



WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



in on every hand by thick hedges, and surrounded 

 by other gardens, in some of which trees of moderate 

 size are growing. In the centre is an ideal little 

 pool, that looks as natural as peat-smoke in a High- 

 land glen. It is commanded by a pair of small 

 clap-nets, which are worked from a neat little 

 summer-house at the bottom of the garden. Our 

 friend, who is justly proud of his home-made 

 miniature loch, informed us that migratory birds 



are particularly fond 

 of stopping to wash 

 and refresh them- 

 selves at it; and in 

 evidence of the way 

 it is appreciated, it 

 need only be men- 

 tioned that he has 

 caught pied, grey, 

 and yellow Wag- 

 tails whilst they 

 have been running 

 about on its pebbly 

 banks in a single 

 season. 



He used to catch Nightingales in his garden 

 in great numbers by means of a trap baited with 

 mealworms. One of our illustrations on page 293 

 represents the engine set ready to receive a visitor. 

 Directly the unwary bird hops on to the raised, 

 circular kind of perch in the centre, with a view to 

 devouring the tempting grubs within it, he releases 

 a spring, which swiftly carries a net over him and 

 renders his chances of escape exceedingly small, as 

 a reference to our second picture of a similar trap 

 with a Robin in it will show. Although' not 

 exactly the same kind of trap, it works on the 



WILD CHAFFINCH STUDYING BIRD- 

 CATCHER'S DUMMY. 



