DECOYING AND TRAPPING ANIMALS. 47 



wild one. Tlie boldness of cock pheasants during tlieir breeding 

 time is wonderful ; many instances having come under my notice 

 of wild pheasants coming from the woods to do battle with 

 aviary ones, and also with farm-yard "roosters." 



A highly interesting account of the ludicrous actions and 

 insensibility to fear of the capercailzie, and blackgame, when 

 courting (and through which they are easily shot), is given by a 

 writer on Norway in the Field of March 27, 1875; and this 

 brings us to the greatest of all aids for the procuring of 

 specimens — I mean the shot-gun and rifle. So much of success 

 depends upon being a clever marksman, and also upon having a 

 good general knowledge of woodcraft, that although for instruc- 

 tions in guns and shooting I refer the reader to Ool. Hawker, 

 Daniel, Blaine, " Stonehenge," Folkard, Greener, " Wildfowler," 

 and many others, yet a few words on some peculiar, and in 

 some cases well-known, methods of decoying birds within gun- 

 shot, may not be out of place. 



The stalking-horse was, no doubt, the earliest decoy or shield 

 under which the ancient fowler got near his birds with the cross- 

 bow or gun. It was sometimes a mere framework of wood, 

 covered with painted canvas to represent a horse or cow, or was a 

 real animal trained to feed and move in a natural manner in the 

 midst of the fowl. In the first instance, the fowler carried the 

 framework in front of him, and made his shot through an 

 opening; in the second case he gently urged the animal on, 

 hiding behind, and making his shot under the belly, or over the 

 back. Tor ancient methods of stalking, see Gervase Markham ; 

 for a modern method, see " Bustard Shooting in Spain," in the 

 Country of Jan. 21, 1875, and current pages of the Field. 



Decoying birds by imitating their notes or cries is an art 

 which the collector must acquire. Many mechanical calls for 

 wood pigeons, curlews, and other birds are made. One call, 

 which I do not think is made or used in England,* is a Greek 

 idea for decoying thrushes. It is a wiiistle formed from two 

 discs of thin silver or silvered copper, each the size of, or a little 



"Since writing this I find there are now sold to boys, for the large sum of one-halfpenny, 

 whistles formea in t^n, of almost similar construction to those described. I never yet found 

 anyore to make them " speak" properly ; boys not knowing how to modulate or inspir" the 

 breath. I have now tried one of them against my silver whistle, and I cannot say which has 

 the better tone. 



