ON CATCHING BIRDS. 
73 
platform, and as a bird alights upon the perch to seize the worm, 
the slight jar releases the catch and the net flies over him. An old 
bird-catcher informed me that he caught all his Nightingales with 
this form of trap, which he could carry with ease buttoned under 
his coat. 
The well-known shilling cage-trap is an excellent one for 
Finches, the only drawback being that it is too small. 1 had a 
special ono made for my own use, with two traps above and one 
large cage for the decoy-bird below . There is, however, a serious 
drawback to the double trap, therefore I do not recommend it — 
if one bird approaches each trap simultaneously and both do not 
jump in together, the fall of one trap sometimes jars down the 
second, and the dilatory bird may get injured. The trap itself 
works with a small hinged platform notched for the reception of a 
bevelled rod attached under and extending backwards beyond the 
lid, which is fastened at one side to the outside of the trap by a 
strong but elastic spring. To set the trap the lid is forced open ; 
and the rod fastened under it, being thus brought forward, is 
slipped into the notch behind the wooden platform. On the latter 
seeds are scattered, and as the bird jumps from the front of the 
trap to the platform to feed, he releases the catch and is 
captured. I had a door made at the back of each trap in my com- 
bination, so that I could let the bird slip out into a large cage or 
aviary without handling it. 
The German cage-trap is fairly effective and useful for catching 
the larger song-birds ; but it is unwieldy and heavy as well as 
elaborate and expensive. I bad one in ado for mo which cost me a 
sovereign, and eventually I sold it, for, I think, half that pi'ice, 
perhaps less, but 1 do uot remember exactly. I do not think it is 
Common Box-Teap when open 
