12 



British Cage Birds. 



How TO TAKE Snipe. — Procure two or three hundreds of 

 birch twigs, and prepare them with water bird-lime (a recipe 

 for making which is given at the end of this chapter). Then 

 proceed to find out the usual haunts of the birds. It is best, 

 and by far the easiest way, to apply this method when the 

 weather is frosty and snow covers the ground ; for, at this time, 

 the birds generally congregate together at the side of a brook 

 or rivulet where the water is not frozen over. Then search 

 must be made for their feeding-place, which can gene- 

 rally be discovered by their feet marks or excrement. Having 

 accomplished this, surround the place with limed twigs, set 

 in a slanting position and about 3ft. apart, setting them at 

 opposite angles to each other; then retire a few hundreds 

 of paces from the place. Few birds will be missed if the 

 twigs are properly arranged and well set, as snipe invariably 

 spread out their wings, and sweep round close to the ground 

 before they alight. If you observe some to have been 

 ensnared, do not go near for a time, as they will feed 

 whilst the twigs are attached to their wings, and they act 

 as decoys to others. After satisfying yourself that a fair 

 number have become victims to your device, and there is 

 not much probability of obtaining more, you may proceed 

 to take up the entrapped birds; but, if you think there 

 is a prospect of securing more, leave one or two, with 

 the twigs still fastened to them, as decoys, set up more 

 twigs, and proceed in the same manner as at first. You 

 should make a tour of inspection in the immediate locality, 

 and visit any place where the birds are likely to lie, and 

 by disturbing them and driving them from these haunts, 

 they will most probably go in the direction of your hunting- 

 ground ; for snipe cannot feed on hard ground, and must of 

 necessity visit open spaces. 



How TO TAKE Fieldfares. — When they migrate from place 

 to place in the autumn, in search of food, shoot one or two 

 of them, and, having previously obtained and prepared for use 

 a few hundreds of limed twigs, get a large birch bough, and 

 cut off all the small twigs ; then make holes or notches, and 

 place limed twigs where these have been. Next fix the 

 dead birds near to the top of the bough, where they can be 

 easily seen by any birds flying near. These dead or decoy 

 birds must be so placed as to have the appearance of living 



