190 THE ENGLISH SPARROW IN AMERICA. 



in Fig. I, the'lines attached, some food for birds placed at ends of fly- 

 stick and their water-cups put down aud filled. Then we can put on the 

 pull-line, the ends of the arms entering into the same eyes of top lines the 

 buttons of staffs have, as shown in Fig. VIII. Now we are all ready 

 but the braced-birds, which are put on sticks by passing the loop at the 

 end entirely through the ring of brace, then passing bird through the 

 loop and pulling tight on ring. We now take the empty pack and 

 retire to end of pull-line, and when seated upon camp-stool w T e are 

 ready for business. 



HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THE BIRDS. 



The management aDd handling of the birds after they are caught is 

 a very important feature, for if used for trap purposes it will be neces- 

 sary to keep them in the most vigorous condition possible from the mo- 

 ment they are caught until used. They should be given a little seed in 

 the blind cages, as also water in the dips outside, and the cage must be 

 kept out of the sun, but the sooner they can be liberated into the ulti- 

 mate place designed for keeping them the better. This can be either a 

 room or out-building sufficiently tight to hold them, provided with ledges 

 and perches, which would be more convenient when catching them out 

 again if made portable. Their staple food here should be feed-meal 

 (yellow corn) and wheat, with an occasional change of some other small 

 grain or seed, or soaked stale bread, and they should be liberally fed 

 and watered at least once a day. Their water should be given in large, 

 flat pans, and the floor of the room should be covered with sand. If 

 the room is not too high the birds can be caught out of it by means of 

 a long landiug net used in fishing. A flat store cage should be used to 

 convey the birds where they are to be used, and care taken of them by 

 seeing that they have food and water and are kept in a quiet place out 

 of the sun, when, if there are any left, they can be returned to the room 

 without injury. In handling the bird avoid pressure on its body; hold it 

 firmly, and without tremor, between the forefinger and thumb around 

 its neck — thumb across its throat, back of bird next the palm of hand — 

 and when it is necessary to change its position in the hand, always keep 

 the hands moving when doing so or it may escape. 



Now this inay all appear too extensive and complicated at first for 

 some to attempt, but there are members of every club who have suffi- 

 cient ingenuity and intuition to construct and use their own nets, which 

 would not only be a gratification of their individual pleasure, but also 

 a source of profit and advantage to the members in general. With 

 these nets, and by following the instructions given, the merest tyro 

 could catch a great many birds in a day — frequently a hundred or more. 

 It should always be borne in mind that the method is not in an}' way to 

 be considered as a baited trap, but that the principle involved is to take 

 the bird unawares — to fool it — and that it is easier to fool one than ten. 

 The number caught at the end of the day will depend largely on bag- 

 ging every bird that comes within the scope of the nets, Make it a 



