178 BIRD LIFE IN ENGLAND. 



same country, winch may be called, for the want of a "better 

 term, a fowling line. It consists of a peg with strong twine 

 attached to it, on the end of which is fastened a grain- of 

 Indian corn. A whole row of these pegs are driven into the 

 ground along a path among the reeds. The partridge or 

 pheasant in swallowing the grain, becomes captive, and re- 

 mains attached to the peg, until the sportsman makes his 

 appearance. These birds and smaller ones are taken by 

 Pardis, a wandering tribe of Indians, in long, conical bag- 

 nets, kept open by hoops, and provided with a pair of folding 

 doors. Bullocks are used to walk through the long jungle 

 grass, and drive the birds into the nets, without alarming 

 them sufficiently to cause them to fly. After the usual 

 thoughtless cruelty of their race, the Pardis break both wings 

 and legs of each bird directly after capture, and thus the 

 miserable victims are carried through a hot morning sun, all 

 basketed together, to market. 



Hardly less curious is a description we find in Johnson's 

 " Indian Field Sports." The Hindoos are there said to equip 

 themselves with a light framework of split bamboos, resem- 

 bling the skeleton of a kite, and covered with green twigs, 

 leaving two loopholes to see through, and another lower down 

 for the insertion of the rod. This they fasten before them 

 when they are in the act of catching birds, thus leaving both 

 hands at liberty, and remaining completely concealed from 

 view. The wand which they use is twenty-four feet long, 

 resembling a fishing rod. They also carry with them horse- 

 hair nooses of different sizes and strength, likewise birdlime, 

 and a variety of calls, with which they can imitate the various 

 birds' notes with the utmost nicety. As they proceed through 

 the various covers, they use the different cries for the birds 

 which they think reside there, and when the call is answered, 

 suppose it be a bevy of quails, they continue piping them 

 until they get quite close ; they then arm the top of their rod 

 with a feather smeared in birdlime, and pass it through the 

 lower hole in their frame of ambush, and continue adding 



