A SCOTTISH METHOD OF BIRD-CATCHING 



13 



A SCOTTISH METHOD OF BIRD-CATCHING. 



By Oliver H. Wild, M.B., Ch.B., M.B.O.U. 



The accompanying sketch may serve to illustrate the 

 method employed by Scottish bird-catchers in a certain 

 locality on the Haddingtonshire coast. I came upon this 

 hunting-ground just above high-water mark on the shores of 

 the Firth of Forth, on 19th October 192 1, and some differences 

 which mark the Scottish method from that familiar to me in 

 the south of England lead me to send you a short description. 

 For the sketch I am indebted to my wife, who accompanied 

 me on the occasion in question. 



.r<-1^ . - 





Bird-catching in Haddingtonshire. 

 The figure on left is placed so as to show approximate distance of operator 

 from decoy when working ; that on right is shown to indicate proportion. 



My attention was first attracted by the artificial 

 appearance of a thicket of branches placed perpendicularly 

 in the sand. These were about ten in number, spaced four 

 yards apart, each being some six to eight feet high, and free 

 from offshoots except towards the free extremity, where the 

 terminal twigs had been smeared with a thin coating of 

 bird-lime. Further inspection revealed about ten small 

 cages, each containing a cock or hen Siskin. Each cage 

 was suspended about twelve inches from the ground by 

 a cord attached to a short stick stuck in the sand. These 

 call-birds were scattered about at the bases of the per- 

 pendicular branches. On the ground, partly concealed by 



