MAKING SURROUNDINGS ATTRACTIVE 251 



particularly when there is snow. Starlings are more shy and 

 come less readily, but in severe winter weather they resort to 

 backyards. Put out the poisoned grain on a dry morning, 

 since moisture brings out the bitter taste of the strychnine. 

 Allow about twenty kernels to each bird, as it takes six or 

 seven to kill quickly. Watch out and kill the birds that 

 become drowsy but would recover, as these are shy of poi- 

 son in future, and seem to warn the others. Take care 

 that the poison is not put out where native birds are accus- 

 tomed to come. 



Trapping. The starling seems rather shy to trap success- 

 fully, but the sparrow can be caught, cunning as it is, in 

 large numbers, by certain methods and with proper precau- 

 tions. The above-mentioned bulletin describes several 

 devices, with diagrams, and it can be secured upon applica- 

 tion to Washington. The "clover-leaf" trap, previously 

 described, might be effective with sparrows. However 

 E. A. Quarles, vice-president of the American Game Pro- 

 tective Association, told me of trying a commercial sparrow 

 trap, by which design the birds entered a small hole and 

 were supposed to be unable to find their way out, but in 

 this case they entered and left again with ease. The 

 "feathered rat" is nobody's fool! 



Barnes Trap. The following very effective device is in 

 use by A. M. Barnes, on the estate of William Rockefeller, 

 at Tarrytown, New York: An enclosure is made similar to a 

 covered chicken-yard, with wire over the top. The wire 

 throughout should be f-inch mesh, to keep sparrows from 

 escaping. The pen should be high enough for a man to 

 stand up in, and any convenient size, say 6 by 10 feet, or 

 larger if one cares to utilize it as a poultry-yard. Suspended 

 from the overhead wire by the corners should be placed a 

 board tray or lunch-counter on which small grain should be 



