DECOYING AND TRAPPING ANIMALS. 43 



Of course, a very small trap must be used for small birds, and 

 baited either witli seeds, bread, worms, or a small piece of fat 

 meat, wliicli latter is a most tempting bait for tbe birds of the 

 genus Parus (titmice). 



There are several other made traps, such as the trap cage ; the 

 best of which has a bird as a decoy partitioned oil from the 

 actual trap. This is a useful little trap in some seasons, and is 

 well known, being easily procurable at any of the bird fanciers'. 



Mr. James Hiani, well known in "Worcestershire for his 

 " Notes on ISTatural History," sends me the following description 

 of his method of trapping bullfinches : 



I find the best way to trap bullfinches is to procure a caged bird, 

 also what is known as a trap-cage, putting the tame bird in the lower 

 part, placing a bunch of blackberries or privet berries in the top part ; 

 and hanging the cage against a wall or tree out of the reach of cats. I 

 have reserved a stock of bunches of blackberries by inserting their stems 

 in water, grape-fashion, for a succession of food for bait. I have also 

 caught scores, if not hundreds, on bird-lime, but this injures their 

 plumage and is somewhat troublesome, especially to anyone not accus- 

 tomed to handle it. I have also caught them in a bat fowling net at 

 night out of thick hedges. I find a trap cage or cages best, for bull- 

 finches generally go in small parties, and I have taken two out at once 

 from two separate cages, while others waited round and were caught 

 afterwards. 



The well-known and easily imitated call of the bullfineli at this season 

 of the year (autumn) appears to have a greater attraction — for what 

 reason I cannot say — than at any other period ; there is also a great 

 difference in individual call birds. The best should be selected. When 

 fresh caught, bullfinches are best placed in a low kind of box cage 

 about six inches deep, with wires only on one side. Such cage may be 

 easily made out of a soap box from the grocer's, giving them a good 

 supply of canary and hemp seed and water. If they refuse to eat the 

 seed, which sometimes happens, give a few blackberries or such other 

 food as they feed on at the time ; the seed of the dock is always a 

 favourite dish in the winter, and the probability is in a day or two they 

 will take to the seed, which should be strewed over the bottom of the 

 cage. 



The nightingale trap (perhaps not quite so well known) is a 

 compromise between the bow net and the spring trap; it is 

 useful for taking most insectivorous birds, is easily made 



