90 PIGEONS. 



throwing the stone, as upon this the success of the 

 diversion depended. 



At a small village called Gerde, ahout a league 

 from Bagnere de Bigorres, in the Pyrenees, a mode 

 somewhat similar is adopted, from the middle of 

 September to the middle of November, which attracts 

 the notice, and is resorted to, as a favourite amuse- 

 ment, by those who visit that beautiful country. 

 Large nets are stretched across the end of a narrow 

 valley, and made fast to trees. Three tall spars, 

 nearly fifty feet in height, are reared in a triangular 

 form, meeting in a point at the summit, where a sort 

 of nest of bushes is made, in which a person conceals 

 himself, ascending the high poles by small pegs, 

 which, as they shake under his weight, and are as 

 slender as possible, consistently with strength, ap- 

 pears to lookers-on, to be a service of no small risk. 

 Two men are also concealed in bushes near the nets, 

 which, by means of lines, they are enabled to throw 

 over the Pigeons as they advance; while others, 

 assembled on the heights immediately above, frighten 

 the birds, and force them to fly downwards as they 

 pass through the channel of the valley. When all 

 have taken their positions, they wait patiently and 

 silently the arrival of a flock of Pigeons. Their 

 approach is announced by a rushing sound, on hear- 

 ing which, the people on the heights pour upon them 

 a volley of short sticks, which compel them to lower 

 their flight towards the ground, when, if they attempt 

 to rise, the man in the nest immediately begins 

 shaking his airy perch as much as possible^ and 

 throwing upon the affrighted birds, sticks tied 

 together in the form of a cross, which make a whiz- 



