DECOYING AND TRAPPING ANIMALS. 45 



subject — albeit lie bas, perbaps -unwittingly, cribbed my title 

 of " Practical Taxidermy" — appears to bave attained remarkable 

 proficiency in tbe use of tbis weapon, and describes also bis 

 metbod of making it, tbns : 



The blowpipe is of great service for collecting warblers and other 

 small birds. It should be made by encasing a long glass tube in wood, 

 to prereut breaking. The ordinary glass tubes used by glass-blowers 

 make good blowpipes, which should have a diameter of iin. and be not 

 leS'ii than 6ffc. long. 



To encase a pipe with wood, take two strips of straight-grained pine, 

 and plane or "gouge" out a half-ronnd groove the full length of each, 

 glue them together, and wire firmly over the glass pipe. When the glue 

 is dry, remove the wires, and plane the wood round until it has a 

 diameter of l|in.; if smaller it will sag, and not do good shooting. 

 Putty balls should be used, and blown with a quick puff, which is- 

 easily acquired by practice. The putty is thickened with whiting- 

 until the pellets will roll hard, but they should not be dry enough 

 to crumble. 



With this novel gun I have killed as many as fifty-six warblers in less- 

 than a day^ and spoiled but few specimens in killing. 



Rowland Ward, also, in bis " Sportsman's Handbook," appears- 

 to favour tbe use of tbe blowpipe, and very correctly says at 

 page 9 : 



The implement is so simple and so easily constructed that the price of 

 it is inappreciable. About 3ft. length of any straight metal or wooden 

 tubing, -fin. diameter, through which a pellet the size of a marble may be 

 thrown, will serve well, but an even longer tube may be chosen. The 

 pellet should be of clay or any putty, rolled in the hand to easily pass 

 through the barrel without too much windage. It should not touch the 

 mouth, but be lightly placed just in the orifice, by stopping which with 

 the thumb the tube can be conveniently carried loaded, muzzle up, ready 

 for the most rapid use. To propel the pellet the puff must be sudden and 

 powerful. There is a proper way of effecting this. When a practitioner 

 first begins to use the blow-pipe, it is a common error to eject the breath 

 only direct from the lungs ; he should acquire the habit of inflating his 

 cheeks, so as to make a storage of wind, as it were, for each shot ; that, 

 added to the breath from the lungs, gives a force which will sometimes 

 astonish him. The hand follows the eye in aim, and practice will often 

 develop unthought-of proficiency. 



Tbe catapult is also a first-rate weapon in a skiKul band for 



