S P R 



S P R 



be ftrong enough, the largelt bird may be caught an eafily 

 as the lead. 



When the fmaller fowls, that frequent watery places, are 

 to be taken by this engine, it is to be made only a great 

 deal (lighter. When it is intended for fnipes, woodcocks, 

 or the like, the main plant may be of willow, hazel, or grown 

 ofier, or any other pliant wood that will eafily bci;d, and will 

 recover its ftraightnefs again. The ule of this engine is 

 limited to the winter feafon, and to times when there is much 

 wet upon the ground. If there happen any great frolts, 

 fo that there is no advantage to be made of the wet places 

 firft defcribed, then the fportfman is to look for fome place 

 where there is a confiderable fall, and where the current 

 is not frozen, and in this place the Ipriii^es are to be fet ; 

 and the greater the frolls are in this cafe, the more birds 

 will be taken. 



There is another ufe of fpringes for birds, which is the 

 taking, by means of them, certain birds on the boughs of 

 trees and m hedges, which is often attended with very great 

 fuccefs. The fportfman, for this purpofe, mull tirll mark 

 fome tree where the birds very much reforl ; then fix on 

 fome particular branch that is tolerably llraight, and cutting 

 off all the twigs to within a foot or two of the top, he is 

 there to bore a hole through the branch with a piercer or 

 wimble, large enough to admit a goofe-quill. Then an- 

 other branch is to be pitched upon, at about a foot dillance 

 from the firft, and all its boughs are to pared away up to a 

 certain height. There is to be fixed to this branch a pack- 

 thread of half a foot long, and at the end of this is to be 

 tied a noofe of plaited horfe-hair. The branch to which 

 the packthread is fattened is then to be ftooped fo far, that 

 the noofe may be brought through the hole in the other 

 branch, and fattened there by means of a little ftick four 

 fingers long, and hooked at the end juil fitting the hole, and 

 fo brought into it, as juft to flop the flying back of the 

 other branch. Then there is to be placed beyond the noofe 

 fome bait of a fruit, or infeft, as a cherry, a pear, or a worm, 

 or any other thing of which the bird, intended to be taken, 

 is known to be fond ; this is to be fet hi fuch a manner, 

 that the bird can no way get at it but by fetting its feet on 

 the fmall ftick which fupports the noofe and ftops the hole. 

 The weight of the bird will throw down the Itick, and the 

 bird will then be caught by the legs, and tied fall to the 

 branch where the hole is, by the flying back of the other 

 branch where the packthread is faftciud. 



There is yet another method in ufe for the taking many 

 kinds of birds, from the partridge or pheafant to the 

 black-bird. This is made in the following manner, and is 

 to be placed either on the ground, or on a tree, bulh, or 

 hedge, according to the nature of the bird intended to be 

 taken by it. A ftraight and even piece of willow, or fallow, 

 is to be chofen, of about fix feet long, and of the thickriefs 

 of a walking cane ; this is to be Iharpened at one end, and 

 (luck down into the ground, and at the other end there is to 

 be faftcned a fmall crook ; then two holes are to be made 

 in the ftick, the one big enough to admit a goofe-quill, the 

 other fmaller : and a piece of llick is to be chofen, which 

 being bent, will fpring back to its Uraightnels again. Inch 

 as holly, or the like : this Ihould be about three feet long, 

 and the larger end of it is to be fixed in the larL'er hole of 

 tiie firft ftick ; the fmaller end mull have faftcned to it a 

 paektlirt-ad, at the end of which there is a noofe of horfe- 

 hair : this is to be broujiht through the Imaller hole, ard 

 be pegged in fo (lightly, as juft to prevent its flying back 

 of itfelf. Then the fpringe or noofe is to be fpread on the 

 peg, and a bait, proper for the bird to be taken, is to be 



placed at a proper diftance ; fo that the bird cannot come 

 at it but by treading on the peg, which will give way under 

 its weight, and the ftick, to which the packthread it faf- 

 tcned, will fly back, and the bird will be confequently 

 caught in the noofe, and have Us legs drawn clofe to the 

 other ftick. 



.SPRINGFIELD, the ^aggavan of the Indians, in 

 Geography, a poft-town of America, in the llatc of Maffa- 

 chufetts, and county of Hampftiire, on the E. fide of Con- 

 nefticut river ; 97 miles W.S.W. of Bofton. This town- 

 Ihip was incorporated in 1645, ^"'^ contains 2 767 inhabit- 

 ants, a congregational church, a court-houfe, and a number 

 of dwelling-houfes, many of which are fpacious and elegant. 

 The town lies clnefly on one fpacious ftrcet, running parallel 

 with the river. A ftream from the lulls, at the ealtward 

 of this town, falls into this ftreet and forms two branches, 

 which run in oppofitedireftions, one northerly and the other 

 foutherly, along the eaftcrn fide of the ftreet, (upplyingthe 

 inhabitants with a lupply of water for domellic ufes. This 

 place has a confiderable inland trade, with a paper-mill, 

 arlenal and armoury. — Alfo, a town of New Hamplhirc, in 

 the county of Cheftiire, containing 8 1 4 inhabitants. — Alfo, a 

 town of Vermont, in the county of Wijidfor, on the W. fide 

 of Connefticut river, oppofile to Charlelb.wn in New Hamp- 

 fhire, containing 2556 inhabitants. — Alfo, a polt-townfliip 

 of New York, at the northern extremity of Otfego county ; 

 58 miles W. of Albany ; its area being equal to about fix miles 

 Iquare. Its furface is undulated with liilh ard vallies, and 

 well divided into arable, meadow, and grazing lands. The 

 foil in the vallies is principally a deep rich mould. It has 

 feveral mill-ltreams ; three houfcs tor worftiip, one for Pref- 

 byterians, one for Congregationahlls, and one for Baptifts ; 

 and twelve or thirteen fchool-houles. In 1810 it contained 

 1846 inhabitants, principally compofed of Englifti, Irifli, 

 Dutch, and Scots emigrants. It derives its name from a 

 large, deep fpring. — Alfo, a town of New Jerfey, in the 

 county of Ellex, on Rah way river, which furniflies fine 

 mill-feats ; 8 or 10 miles N.W. of Elizabeth town ; con- 

 taining 2360 inhabitants, ot whom 45 are (laves. — Alfo, a 

 poft-town of New Jerfey, in Burlington county, having 

 good foil, and famous for its chcefe. The inhabitants, who 

 are principally Quakers, having three meeting-houfes, amount 

 to 1500. The bufinefs is chiefly tranfafted at a village 

 called Job's Town, 10 miles from Burlington. In this 

 townfliip IS a hill, called mount Pilgah, which turnilhes ftone 

 for building. This townlhip has a grammar-lchool. — Alfo, 

 3 townlhip of Pennfylvania, in Montgomery county, con- 

 taining 550 inhabitants. — Alfo, a towiilhip of Pennfylvania, 

 in Bucks county, containing 1287 inhabitants. — Alfo, a 

 townfliip of Pennfylvania, in Delaware county, containing 

 541 inhabitants. — Alfo,a townfliip of Pennfylvania, in Hun- 

 tingdon county, containing 751 inhabitants. — Alfo, a town- 

 (hip of Pennfylvania, in Mercer county, containing 330 in- 

 habitants. — Alio, a townlhip of Oliio, in the county of Cham- 

 paign, containing 598 inhabitants. — Alfo, a poft-town in 

 Hampftiire county, Virginia, 140 miles from Wafliiiifrton. — 

 Alfo, a poll town in Walhington county, Kentucky, 629 

 miles from Walhinv;lon. — Alio, a townlhip <it Ohio, in the 

 county of Columbiana, containing 601 inhabitants — Alfo, 

 a townfliip of Ohio, in the county of H.Tniiltoii, containing 

 2063 inhabitants. — Alio, a townfliip of Ohio, in Jel- 

 ferlon county, containing 746 inhabitants. — Alfo, a town- 

 fliip of Ohio, in the county of Miilkingum, containing 

 919 inhabitants. — Alfo, a townfliip of Ohio, in Portage 

 Lounty, containing 510 inhabitants. — Alfo, a townfliip of 

 Ohio, in Rofs county, containing 972 inhabitants. — Alio, a 



town 



