KIDD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



39 



, and continues his flight till towards 



LONDON BIRD-CATCHEES. 



he business of Bird-catching, which sup- 

 ports a vast number of people in the vici- 

 nity of London, is founded on the annual 

 removals of those singing birds, which are 

 termed birds of flight, in the language of that 

 art. The metropolis affording a ready sale 

 for singing birds, this trade has long been 

 established in its neighborhood ; where it 

 is carried on at a great expense, and with 

 systematical perfection. 



The wild birds begin to fly, as bird-catchers 

 term it, in the month of October, and part 

 of the preceding and following months. The 

 different species of these birds do not make 

 their periodical flights exactly at the same 

 time, but follow one another in succession. 

 The pippet commences his flight, every year, 

 about Michaelmas ; the woodlark next suc- 

 ceeds 

 the middle of October 



It is remarkable, that though both these 

 tribes of birds are very easily caught during 

 their flight, yet, when that is over, no art can 

 seduce them to the nets. It has never hi- 

 therto been found what is the nature of that 

 call by which the tame birds can arrest their 

 flight, and allure them under the nets at 

 that particular season, and at no other. 

 Perhaps it is from their anxiety to carry the 

 tame birds along with them, that these may 

 avoid the severity of the winter. Perhaps, 

 as the tame birds are males, it is a challenge 

 to combat; or it may be an invitation to 

 love, which is attended to by the females 

 who are flying above, and who, in obeying 

 it, inveigle the males, along with them- 

 selves, into the net. If the last be the case, 

 they are severely punished for their infi- 

 delity to their mates ; for the females are 

 indiscriminately killed by the bird-catcher, 

 while the male is made a prisoner, and sold 

 at a high price, for his song. 



The flights of these birds begin at day- 

 break, and continue till noon. Autumn is 

 the time when the bird-catcher is employed 

 in intercepting them on their passage. The 

 nets are about twelve yards long, and two 

 and a half broad. They are spread upon 

 the ground, at a small distance from each 

 other, and so placed, that they can be made 

 to flap suddenly over upon the birds that 

 alight between them. As the wild birds fly 

 always against the wind, the bird-catcher 

 who is most to the leeward has a chance of 

 catching the whole flight if his call-birds be 

 good. A complete set of call-birds consists 

 of five or six linnets, two goldfinches, two 

 greenfinches, one woodlark, one redpole ; 

 and, perhaps, of a bullfinch, a yellow- 

 hammer, a titlark, and an aberdevine. These 

 are placed, in little cages, at small distances 

 from the nets. He has likewise his flur -birds, 



which are placed within the net, and raised 

 or let down according as the wild birds 

 approach. 



This, however, is not enough to allure 

 the wild bird down ; it must be called from 

 the cages by one of the call-birds v/hich are 

 kept there, and which have been made to 

 moult early in the summer, in order to im- 

 prove their notes. Pennant observes, that 

 there appears a malicious joy in these call- 

 birds, to bring the wild ones into the same 

 state of captivity. After they have seen or 

 heard the approach of the wild birds, which 

 is long before it is perceived by the bird- 

 catchers, the intelligence is announced from 

 cage to cage with the utmost ecstasy and 

 joy. The note by which they invite them 

 down is not a continual song, like that which 

 the bird uses in a chamber ; but short 

 "jerks" as they are called by the bird- 

 catchers, which are heard at a great distance. 

 So poAverful is the ascendency of this call 

 over the wild birds, that the moment they 

 hear it, they alight within twenty yards of 

 three or four bird-catchers, on a spot which, 

 otherwise, would never have attracted their 

 notice. After the fatal string is pulled, and 

 the nets are clapped over the unsuspecting 

 strangers, should one half of the flock 

 escape, such is their infatuation, that they 

 will immediately after return to the nets, and 

 share the same fate with their companions. 

 And should only one bird escape, the un- 

 happy survivor will still venture into danger, 

 till he be also caught ; so fascinating is the 

 power which the call-birds have over this 

 devoted race ! 



All the hens that are thus taken are im- 

 mediately killed, and sold for threepence or 

 fourpence a dozen. Their flesh is so exqui- 

 site, that they are regarded as a delicate 

 acquisition to the tables of the luxurious. 

 The taste for small birds is however far from 

 being so prevalent in England as in France 

 and Italy ; and even the luxury of the Ita- 

 lians will appear parsimony when compared 

 with the extravagance of their predecessors, 

 the Romans. Pliny says, that Clodius 

 iEsopus, a tragedian of Kome, paid no less 

 a sum than six thousand eight hundred and 

 forty -three pounds for a single dish of musical 

 birds ; an immense tribute to caprice and 

 gluttony. The highest price given for these 

 singing birds in London is five guineas a 

 piece ; a strong proof how much more their 

 song is relished here than their flesh. 



We cannot conclude this subject without 

 alluding to a most cruel practice which is 

 common among the bird-fanciers, in the 

 neighborhood of London ; it is the accele- 

 ration of the moulting season, and we notice 

 it only to deprecate it in the strongest 

 terms. The moulting of birds, even when 

 left to the operation of nature, is a severe 



