it appears that Bird was in the drifted fenfe a church-mu- 
fician, he occafionally gave to the world compofitions of 
a fecularkind : and he feems to be the fird among Englifh 
muficians that ever made an effay in the compofition of 
that elegant fpecies of vocal harmony, the madrigal ; the 
Verginella of Aricfto, which he fet in that form for five 
voices, being the mod ancient mufical compofition of the 
kind to be met with in the works of Englifh authors. Of 
his compofitions for private entertainment, there are ex¬ 
tant, “ Songs of fundry Natures, fome of Gravitie, and 
others of Myrth,fit for all Companies and Voyces, printed 
in 1589 and two other collections of the fame kind, the 
lad of them printed in 1611. But the mod permanent me¬ 
morials of Bird’s excellencies are his motets and anthems ; 
to which may be added the fird compofition in Dr. Boyce’s 
Cathedral Mufic, vol. iii. that well-known canon, “ Non 
nobis, Domine.” He died in 1623. 
BIRD, f. [bird, or brid, a chicken, Sax.] A general 
term for the feathered kind ; a fowl. In common talk, 
fowl is ufed for the larger, and bird for the fntaller, kind 
of feathered animals. For the natural hidory and econo¬ 
my of birds, fee Ornitho 1.0c v. 
BIRD-BOLT, f. [from bird and bolt, or arrow. ] An 
arrow broad at the end, to be fiiot at birds. 
BIRD-CAGE,/. Aninclofure, with interditial fpaces, 
made of wire or wicker, in which birds are kept. 
BIRD-CALL, / A little dick cleft at one end, in 
which is put a leaf of fome plant, wherewith to counter¬ 
feit the cry or call of birds, and bring them to the net, or 
fnare, or lime-twig, to be taken. Bird-calls for pheafants, 
partridges, quails, plover, See. are made of box, bone, or 
ivory, and fold at the toy-fhops. 
BIRD-CATCHER, f. One that makes it his employ¬ 
ment to take birds.—A poor lark entered into a miferable 
expodulation with a bird-catcher , that had taken her in 
his net. L’Ef range. 
BIRD-CATCHING, the art of taking birds or wild¬ 
fowl, whether for food, for fong, or for their definition, 
as pernicious to the luilbandman, gardener, &c. The me¬ 
thods are by bird-lime, nets, decoys, See. See Decoy. 
Bird-catching is a buiinefs of great ingenuity; in fome 
cafes very profitable ; in others, valued only as amufe- 
ment or fport. The contrivances for this purpofe are nu¬ 
merous, and require great care and attention. Ornithology, 
or a knowledge of the habits and economy of birds, is 
likewife extremely neceffary to thofe who wifii to fucceed 
well in bird-catching ; for, by knowing the times and fea- 
Tons of their flight, their general and particular haunts, 
their favourite food, and retirements for neding and incu¬ 
bation, it not only becomes much ealier to find them, but 
the fnares are laid with greater certainty and eff'eft. 
The fmall birds fly, as the bird-catchers term it, chiefly 
during the month of October, and part of September and 
November; as the flight in March is much lefs confide- 
rable than that of Michaelmas. It is to be noted alfo, 
that the feveral fpecies of birds of flight do not make 
their appearance precifely at the fame time. The pippet, 
a fmall fpecies of lark, begins to fly about Michaelmas ; 
and then the woodlark, linnet, goldfinch, chaffinch, green¬ 
finch, and other birds of flight, fucceed ; all of which are 
not eafily to be caught, or in any numbers, at any other 
tinie, and more particularly the pippet and the woodlark. 
Thcfe birds, during the Michaelmas and March flights, 
are chiefly on the wing from day-break to noon, though 
there is afterwards a fmall flight from two till night; but 
this is fo inconfiderable, that the bird-catchers always take 
up their nets at noon. As thefe birds fly always againd 
the wind, attention mud be paid to this circumdance; if, 
for example, it is wederly, the bird-catcher who lays his 
nets mod to the eaft is fure almod of catching every 
thing, provided his call-birds are good ; a gentle wind to 
the fouth-vved generally 'produces the bed fport. The 
bird-catcher generally carries with him five or fix linnets, 
two goldfinches, two greenfinches, one woodlark, one red¬ 
poll, a yellow-hammer, titlark, and a bullfinch j thefe are 
.8 I R 
placed at fmall diffances from the nets in little cages. He 
hath, befides, what are called flur-birds, which are placed 
within the nets, raifed upon the flur, or moveable perch, 
and gently let down at the time the wild bird approaches 
them. Thele generally confid of the linnet, the goldfinch, 
and the greenfinch, which are fecured to the flur by what 
is called a brace, or filken firing, which fecures the birds 
without doing any injury to their plumage. 
It having been found that there is a fuperiority between 
bird and bird, from the one being more in fong in con- 
fequence of early moulting, the bird-catchers contrive that 
their call-birds fbould moult before the ufual time. They 
therefore, in June or July, put them into a clofe box un¬ 
der two or three folds of blankets, and leave their dung 
in the cage to raife a greater heat; in which date they 
continue, being perhaps examined but once a-week to 
have frefft water. As for food, the air is fo putrid, that 
they eat but little during the whole date of confinement, 
which lads about a month. When the bird hath thus 
prematurely moulted, he is in fong whild the wild birds 
are out of fong, and his note is louder and more piercing 
than that of a wild one ; but it is not only in his note he 
receives an alteration, for the plumage is equally impro¬ 
ved. The black and yellow in the wings of the goldfinch, 
for example, become deeper and more vivid, together with 
a mod beautiful glofs, which is not to be feen in the wild 
bird. The bill, which in the latter is likewife black at 
the end, in the ftopped-bird becomes white and more ta¬ 
per, as do its legs: in fliort, the improvement made in 
thefe dopped call-birds is fo great, that from three to five 
guineas each are frequently given for them. Their fight 
and hearing infinitely excels that of the bird-catcher. The 
indant the wild birds are perceived, notice is given by one 
to the red of the call-birds, as it is by the fird hound that 
hits on the feent to the red of the pack; after which, fol¬ 
lows a fimilar fort of tumultuous ecfiacy and joy. The 
call-birds, while the flock is at a didance, do not dug as a 
bird does in a chamber ; they invite the wild ones by what 
the bird-catchers call fliort jerks, which, when the birds 
are good, may be heard at a great didance. The afeend- 
ency by this call or invitation is fo great, that the wild 
flock is dopped in its courfe of flight ; and alights boldly 
within the nets. Nay, it frequently happens, that, if half 
a flock only are caught, the remaining half will immedi¬ 
ately afterwards alight in the nets, and fnare the fame fate; 
and, fliould only one bird efcape, that bird will differ itfelf 
to be pulled at till it is caught; fuch a fafeinating power 
have the call-birds. 
The nightingale is not a bird of flight, in the fenfe the 
bird-catchers ufe this term ; it only moves from hedge to 
hedge, and does not take the periodical flights in October 
and March. The arrival of the nightingale is expefted in 
the fird week in April: at the beginning, none but cocks 
are taken ; but in a few days the hens make their appear¬ 
ance, generally by themfelves, though fometimes a few 
males come along with them. The latter are didinguifhed 
from the females not only by their fuperior fize, but by a 
great fu elling of their vent, which commences on the fird 
arrival of the hens. They are caught in a net-trap, the 
bottom of which is furrounded with an iron ring ; the net 
itfelt is rather larger than a cabbage-net. When the bird- 
catchers hear or fee them, they drew fome frefh mould 
under the place, and bait the trap with a meal-worm from 
the baker’s diop. Ten or a dozen nightingales may be 
thus caught in a day. 
The common way of taking larks, of which fo many are 
ufed at our tables (fee A lauda), is in the night, with 
trammels or fpread-nets. The darked nights are propered 
for this fport; and the net will not only take larks, but 
all other birds that rood on the ground. Thofe caught 
in the day are taken in clap-nets of fifteen yards length, 
and two and a half in breadth; and are enticed within the 
reach by a call-bird, and by means of bits of looking- 
glafs, fixed in a piece of wood, and placed in the middle 
of the nets, which are put in motion by a firing the larker 
commands. 
