BIRD-CATCHING. 
ther ; and, of course, cannot be inveigled 
into the snare. When the weather grows 
gloomy, the larker changes his engine, and 
makes use of a trammel-net, twenty-seven 
or twenty- eight feet long, and five broad; 
which is put on two poles, eighteen feet 
long, and carried by men under each arm, 
who pass over the fields, and quarter the 
ground as a setting dog : when they hear or 
feel a lark hit the net, they drop it down, 
and so the birds are taken. 
But the most singular species of bird- 
catching is on the Holm of Ness a vast 
rock severed from the isle of Ness by some 
unknown convulsion, and only about six- 
teen fathoms distant. It is of the same stu- 
pendous height as the opposite precipice, 
with a raging sea between ; so that the in- 
tervening chasm is of matchless horror. 
Some adventurous climber reaches the rock 
in a boat, gains the height, and fastens seve- 
ral stakes on the small portion of earth 
which is to be found on the top ; correspon- 
dent stakes are placed on the edge of the 
correspondent cliffs : a rope is fixed to the 
stakes on both sides, along which a ma- 
chine, called a cradle, is contrived to slide ; 
and, by the help of a small parallel cord, 
fastened in like manner, the adventurer 
wafts himself over, and returns with his 
booty. . 
The manner of bird-catching, in the Fe- 
roe islands, is very strange and hazardous. 
Necessity compels mankind to wonderful 
attempts. The cliffs which contain the ob- 
jects of their search are often two hundred 
fathoms in height, and are attempted from 
above and below. In the first case, the 
fowlers provide themselves with a rope 
eighty or one hundred fathoms in length. 
The fowler fastens one end about his waist 
and between his legs, recommends himself 
to the protection of the Almighty, and is 
lowered down by six others, who place a 
piece of timber on the margin of the rock, 
to preserve the rope from wearing against 
the sharp edge. They have besides a small 
line fastened to the body of the adventurer, 
by which he gives signals that they may 
lower or raise him, or shift him from place 
to place. The last operation is attended 
with great danger, by the loosening of the 
stones, which often fall on his head, and 
would infallibly destroy him, was he not pro- 
tected by a strong thick cap ; but even that 
is found unequal to save him against the 
weight of the larger fragments of rock. The 
dexterity of the fowlers is amazing ; they 
will place their feet against the front of the 
precipice, and dart themselves some fa- 
thoms from it, with a cool eye survey the 
places where the birds nestle, and again 
shoot into their haunts. In some places 
the birds lodge in deep recesses : the fowler 
will alight there, disengage himself from the 
rope, fix it to a stone, and at his leisure col- 
lect the booty, fasten it to his girdle, and 
resume his pendulous seat. At times he 
will again spring from the rock, and in that 
attitude, with a fowling net placed at the 
end of a staff, catch the old birds which are 
flying to and from their retreats. When he 
has finished his dreadful employment he 
gives a signal to his friends above, who pull 
him up, and share the hard-earned profit. 
The feathers are preserved for exportation ; 
the flesh is partly eaten fresh; but the 
greater portion dried for winter’s provi- 
sion. 
The fowling from below has its share of 
danger. The party goes on the expedition 
in a boat; and when it has attained the 
base of the precipice, one of the most <lar- 
ing, having fastened a rope about his waist, 
and furnished himself with a long pole with 
an iron hook at one end, either climbs or is 
thrust up by his companions, who place a 
pole under his breech, to the next footing 
spot he can reach. He, by means of the 
rope, brings up one of the boat’s crew ; the 
rest are drawn up in the same manner, and 
each is furnished with his rope and fowling- 
staff. They continue their progress up- 
wards, in the same manner, till they arrive 
at the region of birds ; and wander about 
the face of the cliff in search of them. They 
then act in pairs ; one fastens himself to the 
end of his associate’s rope, and in places 
where birds have nestled beneath his foot- 
ing, he permits himself to be lowered down, 
depending for his security on the strength 
of his companion, who has to haul him up 
again ; but it sometimes happens, that the 
person above is overpowered by the weight, 
and both inevitably perish. They fling the 
fowl into the boat, which attends their mo- 
tions, and receives the booty. They often 
pass seven or eight days in this tremendous 
employment, and lodge in the crannies 
which they find in the face of the preci- 
pice. 
Birds are likewise caught in traps of va- 
rious kinds; and frequently by nooses of 
hairs. In this way great numbers of wheat- 
ears are annually taken on the various downs 
of England, particularly in Sussex. Small 
holes are dug by the shepherds in the 
ground, in each of which is placed a noose. 
