448 



British Cage Birds. 



young at an early age for an hour together, in search of food to 

 supply their wants. The young do not leave the nest until 

 they are able to fly. 



Methods of Capture. — Stout, well-limed twigs may be 

 placed around the nest to secure the parents, but the trapper 

 will require a pair of thick husbandman's gloves before he 

 ventures to handle the birds, and it will be found advisable to 

 clip their wings as soon as caught. The birdlime used for 

 this purpose needs to be fresh and very strong, or it will 

 not hold the birds. 



Professional catchers generally use a hawk trap." This 

 consists of a wooden skeleton frame, made of 2in. laths, 

 |in. in thickness ; it should be 2ft. long, 20in. wide, and 

 2ft. Gin. high, as it requires to be made in two stories. 

 It should have a solid wood bottom and a framed lid, with 

 two stout wire springs, one fixed on either side. The trap 

 should be covered with strong netting, or be wired like 

 a cage ; the lower story is to hold two or three small birds 

 to act as decoys, the upper portion being the trap. It is 

 arranged with a crossbar of wood in the centre, about 2-Jin. 

 wide, and ;|in. in thickness. In the centre of this is a ;|in. 

 auger hole, and into this hole is fixed a round piece of wood 

 perpendicularly to half the height of the upper story, and on 

 the top of this is placed another piece of wood, square in the 

 centre, and with two arms branching from it, made like a 

 stout perch. On the under side a hole should be counter- 

 sunk about yV^^M to keep it steady on the upright piece below ; 

 on the top of this is fixed a piece of |in. round wood, cut 

 away at each end, and bevelled. The ends should be first 

 greased, and then the upright dexterously arranged between 

 the cross-piece of wood and the lid, so that when the Hawk 

 alights on the cross perch to pounce on the imprisoned birds, 

 its weight will cause the upright to be displaced, and fail, 

 thus liberating the springs and closing the trap. 



The space between the two stories is best ,wired, one 

 side forming a door for putting in and taking out the 

 birds. The trap should be secured to a tree, some distance 

 from the ground, and in open country, where it can easily 

 be discovered. Hawks, as a rule, are neither cautious nor 

 cunning, but rush into danger in a headstrong, impetuous man- 

 ner, and are easily caught, especially when pressed by hunger. 



