98 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGHK GARDENER. 
August 1, 1878. 
weather the birds are lured by decoy birds. Decoy birds used are 
of the same species as the birds sought to becaught. The furthest 
decoy bird will be placed in his cage 20 or 30 yards away from the 
net. The wild birds are attracted by the song of the decoy to 
within sight of the net; the wild bird is brought still nearer by 
other decoys until within sight of the “brace bird,” which has 
been trained to his business. A piece of bobbin or other soft 
material is made into a figure of 8, and the bird is placed into it 
in such a manner that he is not hurt, but so that he has free use 
of his wings and legs. A swivel is attached to the underneath 
part of the brace, and a length of 4 or 5 inches then attaches the 
bird on to the “ flurr stick.” The “ flurr stick,” by an ingenious 
but simple contrivance, is made to rise and fall by the means 
of a string at the will of the catcher. When the wild birds are 
approaching the string is pulled, and the “ brace bird” is raised 
up sitting on the top of the stick. Upon the lowering of the stick 
the brace bird “shows wing ”—that is, he begins to flutter, as if 
settling on the ground. The wild birds imagine that the brace 
bird has found out a feeding ground, and they come to share in 
the spoil. The instant the birds have settled on the ground the 
bird-catcher pulls the pull-line sharply, and the nets are over in a 
moment. Even when the birds cannot make up their minds, and 
will not come within reach of the ground, the experienced catcher 
will strike them into the net when hovering within 3 feet of the 
ground. The takes vary from one bird to five or six dozen at one 
pull. The birds are carefully taken out of the net and immediately 
placed in cages, called “store cages.” The doors of these cages 
are at the top, and made with the leg of a stocking fastened on ; 
a usual wooden door would not answer, as the birds might slip out 
when fresh additions were made. All kinds of British birds, from 
a Wren up to a Rook, can be taken in the pull net. During ordi- 
nary weather the nets are worked by decoy and “flurr birds” on 
the open lands ; during the hot weather, such as at present pre- 
vails, the nets are worked on the margins of brooks, lakes, or 
ponds. Birds will go for miles to a clear running gravelly- 
bottomed stream. An experienced catcher on passing a suitable 
place can tell it immediately. The signs are that the shallow 
water at the edges of the pool is muddy, and the tracks of the 
birds visible in the mud. Birds frequent the water for drinking, 
washing, and moulting purposes about mid-day during the hot 
weather. By this mode of netting, which is called “the water 
trap,” many rare British birds, which will take no notice of call 
birds, are captured. Amongst these rare and shy specimens are 
taken—viz., the Black and White Flycatcher, Woodpecker, Jays 
and Magpies, Doves, Wood Pigeons, Blackcaps, Butcher-bird, 
Lesser and Larger Pettichaps, Thrushes, Blackbirds, and all the 
Titmouse tribe. 
There is another mode of catching birds—namely, by birdlime. 
The best lime is made from hollyback ; there is also another good 
lime made of boiled linseed oil. Birdlime is mostly made by the 
catchers themselves ; it requires considerable art to make it well. 
Good lime would hold a Duck or Parrot. 
The birds principally caught by birdlime are Goldfinches, Bull- 
finches, Woodlarks, and Chaffinches. The best time for catching 
Bullfinches is in the blackberry time—viz., September and October. 
Birdliming is a more sporting mode of catching birds than netting. 
The Bullfinch-catcher finds his game principally by his own call. 
He walks along suitable lanes and margins of woods continually 
calling with his mouth ; this is called “whooping ;” it is the 
challenge or call note of the Bullfinch, and sounds much like 
“whoop,” “whoop,” “whoop.” In some parts of the country 
Bullfinches are called “whoops.” After a time the man finds his 
game by a bird answering his call. He immediately puts down a 
call Bullfinch in a cage, and a twig already limed near the cage. 
After a time the decoy “gets hold” of the wild bird by his call ; 
the man then ceases, leaving the bird to finish the work. 
The wild bird being of a pugnacious disposition he challenges the 
caged bird, and alighting on the stick he is done for immediately, 
being held fast by the lime. It is not an uncommon thing fora 
single-handed man to take two dozen Bullfinches in a day ; fresh 
caught “Bulleys” realise to the catcher 12s.a dozen for cocks 
and 3s. a dozen for hens. Cock Bullfinches are in some parts of 
the country called “soldiers,” on account of their crimson breasts. 
“Bulleys” are taught to pipe by being taken very young from 
the nest and one tune constantly hammered into their heads 
either by a bird-organ or by whistling. Numbers of birds, how- 
ever, will not take to the song, in spite of great attention being 
paid to their education. The Germans are very clever in teaching 
Bullfinches to pipe. A trainer would think himself fortunate if 
four out of twelve “ Bulleys” become pipers ; the remaining eight 
will take a bit of the tune and not go on withit. These are sold 
as “broken pipers ;” they are worth 3s. Gd. each. A perfect piper 
is worth from £3 to £4. 
The Shrike Butcher-birds, or the small birds’ enemy, are not 
plentiful this year; last year there were many. It is supposed 
that the flight this year did not hit this country, probably on 
account of the long, wet, cold spring. The food of the Shrike 
is grasshoppers, beetles, and small birds. In the autumn of the 
year they prey on the small insectivorous birds, such as the 
Chiffchaft, Willow Wren, and all kinds of small birds. It is not 
an uncommon thing for the Butcher-bird to attack and instantly 
kill the bird-catcher’s “ brace-bird.” 
From the end of July to the end of August will be the most 
silent time of the year for birds. Birds are then all laying up for 
moulting for their new winter suits and for their autumnal flight. 
The first to go is the Nightingale. She chooses the first week in 
August to be off. The end of August entirely sends away the 
late Nightingales, to return again next April. The genial 
weather we have had lately suits this year’s hatch of young 
birds. They have thriven well, and are very plentiful. The 
birdcatchers are preparing to reap their harvest previous to the 
autumnal flight. The summer birds will not all be cleared away 
from this country till the end of October.—(Daily News.) 
VARIETIES. 
WE remind our readers that the fourth metropolitan exhibi- 
tion of the British Bee-keepers’ Association will be held in the 
Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens, South Kensington, on 
August 6th, 7th, and 8th, when prizes of money and medals will 
be awarded for hives, produce, &c. Various manipulations by 
accomplished bee-masters will be made with live bees, which 
cannot fail being not only highly interesting but also instructive. 
The efforts of the Association to popularise apiculture in Great 
Britain merit much success, and the exhibitions are worthy of 
extensive patronage. 
—— Ayn American poultry-keeper has written that every chicken 
which had the gapes has been entirely cured by being made to 
inhale tobacco smoke. The treatment has done them no harm, 
and the trouble of smoking is but little if it is done when the 
chicks are in the coop. It takes but a moment to put them into 
a basket, and five minutes is as long as they should be subjected 
to the inhalation of the smoke, and not so long if it is strong 
enough to produce stupor. As soon as a chick is stupefied it 
should be taken from the basket and laid on the ground, when it 
will soon revive. Chickens that were nearly dead with the gapes 
when first treated got better with each treatment, and were cured 
after the seventh smoking. 
— Touryip Fty—We are glad to know that this pest has not 
troubled the turnip crop this season so much as it has done of late. 
Mr J. Howden, Selkirk, writes a note introducing a method of 
preventing its ravages :—Take a quantity of sawdust well dried, 
say a bag, pour into it one gallon of paraffin oil and mix well ; 
sow this upon the drills, either on the top or broadcast as may 
suit best. The sawdust, having absorbed the liquid, gives off the 
effluvia, gradually killing the insect without injury to the plant, 
two bags being sufficient for an acre. This can be easily tested 
in spots, and the expense is light. 
— Cuicaco is able with improved machinery that has been 
tested within the last few weeks to desiccate from five to twenty 
thousand dozen eggs per day in such a manner as to keep them 
for any number of years in any climate. The amount desiccated 
could be doubled with little expense, and in this manner immense’ 
quantities will be canned when the market is low. The eggs are 
preserved simply by evaporating that portion which causes decom- 
position and decay, leaving the yolk and albumen, or the egg 
itself, in a rich golden-coloured granulation, which can be used in 
cooking at any time by adding water or milk according to direc- 
tions to the desiccated egg, in which it readily dissolves in from 
three to five minutes. The difference between this and a fresh 
egg cannot be detected, as it is nothing else than fresh egg. By 
this method it is impossible to preserve limed eggs or eggs that 
are even slightly stale. 
—— A PARLIAMENTARY paper has been issued giving the im- 
portation of dead meat into the United Kingdom in the years — 
1876 and 1877. The following summary gives the quantity and 
yalue of the import for each month in the two years :— 
1876. 1877. 
ee (=e 
Quantity. Value. || Quantity. | Value. 
Cwts. £ Cwts. £ 
January ....--eeeeeeee 81,992 216,626 136,396 373,344 
February ... 114,920 283,639 154,969 405,518 
March ..... 110,928 278,890 186,213 492,369 
April....... 95,708 231,682 140,409 352,716 
May .....-. 69,856 172,543 190,350 459,926 
June ..... 76,037 182,929 125,655 308,851 
July ...-. 56,919 130,362 95,624 246,189 
August 73,263 186,901 67,802 180,366 
September 81,883 202,240 81,797 224,311 
October . 94,893 244,397 134,830 386,791 
November 144,014 378,973 127,733 310,326 
December 167,167 404,102 139,622 357,101 
eOLALatsinteleiel<se1o'6 -, 1,167,580 | 2,923,184 | 1,581,420 | 4,117,808 
— Proressor E. W. Stewart writing on feeding animals 
states that the best feeders are fast changing their ideas of the 
proper management of young animals. It is not long since pig- 
feeders thought a slow early growth the best for the constitution, 
