128 The Passenger Pigeon 



higher prices than poor birds. This large catch filled 

 all his feeding pens. He said he could have made 

 another catch fully as large as the one just mentioned, 

 in one-half hour afterward but, having no room, he 

 could not take care of any more. 



This method of catching pigeons was much the best 

 when they were to be preserved alive. It was rather a 

 late invention in the pigeon-netting business. We have 

 caught with one net in the same way as many as four 

 hundred at one time. With a net set on the ground 

 we have taken from three to five hundred a great many 

 times. In this latter manner, a brother of mine caught 

 556 with one net. Without help, in one day I have 

 caught from thirteen to fourteen hundred out of a flock 

 as they were flying over. 



We have two ways of pigeoning. One is catching 

 out of flocks as they are flying over ; the other is catch- 

 ing baited pigeons. One way of bringing the flocks 

 out of the air was by using live pigeons kept for that 

 purpose. These we called "fliers" and "stool-pigeons;" 

 generally from three to five fliers and two stool-pigeons. 

 For the "fliers" and "stools" we made what we called 

 "boots" of soft leather. These were slipped on the 

 leg a little above the foot. To the boots of the fliers 

 were fastened small stout cords from two to four rods 

 long, on the other end of which was fastened a small 

 bush. If the birds were flying high, we used a longer 

 string. 



