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tliis circumftancc confirms the obfcrvatioii of Liiinceiis, tliat 

 Ihe m:ilc chaffiiiclics fly by tlitrnftlve!, and the flight pre- 

 cedes the females ; and the fad extends to other birds. Such 

 binU as breed twice a year have generally in their firll brood 

 a maj.n ity of males, and in their fccond of ftmalef. 



As the biiUlinch, though it is not properly cither a Iniguig 

 bird, or a bird of (light, If range being merely from hedge 

 to hedge, felc^ies a good price on account of its leanung to 

 whilUe tunes, and as it fometimes flits over the fields where 

 the bird-catchers lay their nets, they have often a call-bird to 

 enfnare it, though moll of ihem can imitate the call with 

 their mouths. It is a peculiarity witl\ regard to this bird, 

 that tlie fern lie aufwers the purpofe of a call-bird, as well as 

 the male, which is not to be experienced in any other bird 

 taken by the London bird-catcher. The nightingale, though 

 dilliiigii;flied as a fniging-bird, moves only from hedge to 

 hedge, and dois not t:ikc the periodical flights of other birds 

 ill t)aober and iMarcli ; and therefore it is not clalfed by 

 the bird-catchers among the birds of flight. The perfons 

 who catch thefe birds, make ufe of fmall trap-nets, with- 

 out call-birds, and are confidercd inferior in dignity to other 

 bird-catchers, who will not rank with t'.icm. The arrival of 

 the nightingale is expected by the trappers in the neighbour- 

 hood oi London, tiie firft week in April ; at firli, none 

 but cocks are triken, but in a few days the hens make their 

 appearance, generally by themfelves, though fometimes a 

 few malts come along with them. Tiiey are caught in a 

 net-trap, the bottom of which is furrouiided with a:i iron- 

 ring ; and the net itfelf is fomewhat larger than a cabbagc- 

 nct. When the trappers hear or fee them, they drew fome 

 frtflt mould uider the place, and bait the trap with a meal- 

 worm from the baker's (hop. In this way ten or twelve 

 nightingales have been caught in a day. Pennant's Zool. 

 vol. ii. Append. 



Birds are caught in traps of various kinds ; and frequently 

 by noofes of hair--. In this way, great numbers of wheat- 

 ears are annually taken on the various downs of England. 

 Small holes are dug by the (hepherds in the ground, in each 

 of which is placed a noofe. Whenever a cloud obfcures the 

 fun, thefe timid birds feek for flwlter under a Hone, or creep 

 into any iioles that prefent themfelves ; and they are thus 

 enfnared by the noofes which faflen around their neck'. 

 Woodcocks and fnipes are taken likew ife by noofes of horfe- 

 hair placed along their paths, in marOies and moiil grounds. 

 Wild ducks in all their varieties are taken in vaft numbers 

 every winter on our coalls by means of decoys. (See 

 Decoy.) Gronle and partridges are taken by means of 

 nets, either at night when rclHng on the ground, by obferv- 

 ing where they alight, and when fctttd, drawing a net over 

 that part of the field ; or, in the day, a very lleady dog is 

 ufed to point at them. The attention of the birds being 

 thus fixed, two perfons, drawing the two extremities of a 

 large net, pafs it over them, and thus fecure a whole pack 

 ofgioule, or covey of partridges at once. Pheafants are 

 fometimes taken by iiigl:t,by holding flaming fulphur under 

 the trees on which they are obferved to perch, the lufFocat- 

 ing eflluvia of which make them fall fenfelefs. Mons. 

 Pratty informs us, that, during his travels in North America, 

 he look great numbers of the pafl"enger-pigeon in a fimllar 

 manner. For various methods of taking larks ; fee Alau- 

 DA. For the life of bud-lime among bird-catchers ; fee 



BiRD-LlME. 



In various parts of the world, peculiar modes arc adopted 

 for enfi aring and taking birds, fome of which, whilH they 

 are hazardous to thofe who prailife them, excite no incon- 

 fidcrable degree of furprifc, and even of anxiety, in the fpec- 

 tators. Thus, in the Orkney iflands, where the birds that 



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inhabit the rock?, aad the eggs which they depofit among 

 the cliffs, fupply the principrd food of many among the 

 poorer inhabitants, the intrepid and adventurous fowlers 

 c'imb rockv precipices more than fifty fathoms above the 

 fea, and pafs from one flielf or ledge to another, whofc 

 breadth is barely fuRicient for refting places to the birds, 

 wh.ich depolit their eggs upon them. In this hazardous 

 employment, the adventurers arc commonly lowered from 

 above by means of a rope, formed often of brittle materials, 

 and held by a fingle affillant. Faftened to this rope, the 

 intrepid peafant defcends, and fearchcs all the cavities for 

 eggs, fpringing from one projefling ledge to another, by 

 the help of a pole, whilft the affillant, upon receiving the 

 neccflary fignals, fhifts the rop'i from one part of the rocky 

 precipice to another. If the weight of the fowler and of 

 hii booty fliould, in thefe perilous circumftances, overpower 

 his adbciate above, or the craggy rock cut the rope, inevi- 

 table dellrudion mull aw^ait the adventurer ; for he will 

 either he daflicd againft the projediiig rock, or drowned in 

 the fubjacent fea. But the moll fingular fpecies of bird- 

 catching is in the holm of Nofs, which is a huge rock 

 fevered from the ifle of Nofs by fome unknown convulfion, 

 and diflant from it about i6 fathom?. The oppofite cliffs 

 arc ftparated by the raging fea. The adventurer, having 

 reached the rock in a boat, and afcended to the top of it, 

 fallens fevtral (lakes in the fliallow foil that is found on the 

 fiirface of the rock ; and finiilar Hakes are alfo attached to 

 the edge of the conefponding and oppofite cliff. A rope 

 is then fixed to the Hakes on both fides, upon which a 

 machine, called a cradle, is contrived to Aide ; and by the 

 help of a fmall parallel cord faftened in like manner, the 

 daring adventurer wafts himfelf over, and returns with his 

 booty. 



In the Feroe iflands the method of bird-catching is more 

 extraordinary and hazardous than any which has already 

 been recited. The cliffs, to which the fowlers recur, are 

 in many cafes 200 fathoms high ; and they are traverfed 

 both from above and below. In the firll cafe, the fowlers 

 provide themfelves with a rope 80 or 100 fathoms long ; 

 and the adventurer fallens one end about his w-aitl and be- 

 tween his legs, and having recommended himfelf to the 

 proteftion of the Almighty, he is lowered down by fix 

 atfociates, who place a piece of wood in the margin of the 

 rock, that the rope may be prefervcd from being fretted 

 and broken by its fliarp edge. To his body is fallened a 

 fmall line which ferves for enabling him to give the necef- 

 faiy fignals, when he wiflies to be raifed or lowered, or 

 fliiftcd from one place to another. In changing his fitua- 

 tion, he is expofed to the hazard of injury from loofened 

 and falling ftones, which, falling on the head, mull inevi- 

 tably dellroy him, if he were not in fome degree protefted 

 by a ftroiig thick cap. The fowlers, by their altonifhing 

 dexterity, contrive to place their leet againll the front of 

 the precipice, and to dart themfelves fome fathoms from it, 

 for the purpofe of furveying the roofting places of the 

 birds, and projefting themfelves into the deep receffes, 

 where they lodge. There the fowler alights ; and difen- 

 gaging himfelf from the rope, which he fixes to a ftone, 

 colledts the booty at his leifure, attaches it to his girdle, 

 and when this is done, refnmes his fufpended pollure. He 

 will alfo, when occafions require it, fpring from the rock, 

 and in this attitude, by means of a fowling net, fixed to 

 the end of a flaff, catch the old birds which are flying to 

 and from their retreats. When this hazardous operation is 

 finifhed, he gives a fignal to his companions above, who pull 

 him up, and divide the booty. The feathers are prefcrved 

 for exportation ; the flelh is partly eaten frelh, and the 



greater 



