74 
HINTS ON CAGE-BIRDS. 
so satisfactory as a far more simple and very easily constructed 
Thrush trap, which I shall now describe. 
Gfet a Hudson’s soap box from a grocer, and see that you get the 
lid, this will perhaps cost you 2d. Saw the outer two-fifths of the 
lid across, fasten the remainder down with French nails, hinge the 
loose portion to that which you have fastened (this can easily be 
done by tacking across two strips of soft leather) so that the short 
lid opens and falls back to its place with ease. To the outside of 
the lid fasten one end of a penny wire spring, stretch this just 
slightly, so as to hold the lid firmly down carrying it obliquely 
backwards and fastening the hinder end through a small hole pierced 
in the side of the box. 
I ought to have mentioned one important thing which I had 
almost overlooked, — a narrow piece of wood bevelled off' at the lower 
end and screwed under the centre of the lid, with the bevelled lower 
end extending some two or three inches backward beyond the said 
lid. Now get. a stout forked twig, and cut a triangular notch in the 
upper side behind the fork, rest the back end of your twig against 
the back of the box inside, lift your lid and slip the bevelled end of 
your lid-support into the notch, and your trap is set. Either sunk 
level with the earth or placed on a step, and a few crumbs scattered 
inside and round the edge, this trap it ready, and can be watched 
from a distance or even left for a time. 
I improved upon the above ingenious contrivance by letting a 
piece of glass into the end in order to examine my captives, and a 
small door in the side to take them out by. 
Another clever trap was made for me by a bird-catcher for a 
shilling, this he called the “Caravan Trap.” It is made by hammer- 
ing a sixpenny iron hoop into the outline of a caravan hood, across 
this two arched wires are fastened, and a piece of net is stretched 
over the frame thus formed. A flexible apple- wand is now bent into 
a bow, so as to come just within the hoop of iron, and is attached 
with strong twine at each end to the corners bounding the flattened 
