FINCHES. 33 



Somerset, I can give the following plan that I used to adopt 

 some twenty-five years since, when my larch trees were 

 young, by which plan I caught hundreds of birds, including 

 starlings, fieldfares, and other similar birds, on. any dark, 

 still night. One man carrying, say, four sheep bells, one 

 man with a lantern, and another a long light stick, one 

 sheepdog, enter the plantation after seven o'clock, the first 

 man shaking the sheep bells, which drowns all sound of 

 footsteps ; the second man turns the light on the trees, when 

 the birds can be seen, apparently stupefied ; the third man 

 knocks them down ; the sheepdog retrieves them. This may 

 be called poaching ; bat where the birds roost in thousands 

 they may be used as food, and certainly are excellent 

 eating." 



And another of these, we must think, ill-advised land- 

 owners suggests we should have some openings made by 

 stripping the trees in two or three places right and left 

 through our plantations so as to admit of many clap- 

 nets, and then send a person to quietly beat the birds 

 towards the nets, when we shall capture a score or two, as 

 starlings do not rise and fly away, but flutter along the 

 branches. 



These birds migrate, unobtrusively but widely, though 

 the fact is not generally recognized. There can be little 

 doubt the greater part of those flocks seen on our marshes 

 and downs during the winter have come from Norway and 

 Sweden. 



Though starling pate may seem a poor substitute for 

 pigeon pie, the truth is, nearly all small birds are more or 

 less good food. Nothing could seem less appropriate for 

 this purpose than the swallow tribe ; yet Buff on tells us 

 swallows roost at the close of summer in great numbers on 

 alders by the banks of southern rivers, and are taken in vast 

 quantities to be eaten in some countries, as Spain and 

 Silesia ; and again we read, " The martins grow very fat in 

 autumn, and are then very good to eat. They are taken 



D 



