BIRD-CATCHING. 
those seasons of the year when they change their 
situation; in the month of October, for instance, 
when the wild birds begin to fly, and in March 
when the smaller kinds assemble for pairing. 
They are chiefly on the wing from day-break to 
noon, and always fly against the wind. ‘The 
bird-catchers, therefore, lay their nets towards 
that point to which the wind blows. The nets 
employed in this way are generally twelve yards 
and a half long, and two and a half wide; and 
are spread on the ground parallel to each other 
in such a manner as to meet when turned over. 
They are provided with lines fastened in such a 
way, that, by a sudden pull, the bird-catcher is 
able to draw them over the birds that may have 
alighted in the space between those parallel sides. 
In order to entice the wild birds to alight among 
the nets, call-birds are employed, of which there 
must be one or two of each of the different kinds 
which are expected to be caught, such as linnets, 
goldfinches, greenfinches, woodlarks, red- poles, 
yellow hammers, titlarks, aberdavines, and bull- 
finches. Besides the call-birds, there are others 
denominated flur-birds, which are placed upon a 
moveable perch within the net, called a flur, and 
which can be raised or depressed at pleasure ; 
and these are secured to the flur by means of a 
brace or bandage of slender silk string fastened 
round the body of the bird. The call-birds are 
disposed, at proper intervals, in cages, at a little 
distance from the nets; and as soon as they see 
or hear the approach of the wild birds, which 
they perceive long before it can be observed by 
the bird-catchers, they announce the intelligence, 
from cage to cage, with the greatest appearance 
of joy ; and they proceed to invite them to alight, 
| by a succession of notes, or short jerks, as they 
are termed by the bird-catchers, which may often 
be heard at a considerable distance. The mo- 
ment that this call is heard by the wild birds, 
they stop their flight, and descend towards the 
nets; and so great is the ascendency and fascina- 
tion of the call-birds, that they can induce the 
others to return repeatedly to the nets, till every 
bird in the flock be caught—Nightingales are 
taken with small trap-nets, without the aid of 
call-birds. These nets are not much larger than 
a cabbage-net ; are surrounded at the bottom 
with an iron ring; and are baited with a meal- 
worm from the baker’s shop.— In fine sunny 
weather, sky-larks are allured within reach of 
the clap-nets, by means of small bits of looking- 
glass fixed in a piece of wood in the middle of 
the nets, and put into a quick whirling motion, 
by a string in the hand of the bird-catcher. 
Grouse and partridge may be taken in the even- 
ing, by observing where they alight, and drawing 
a net over them ; or, in the day-time, by employ- 
ing a steady dog to point at them; and while 
their attention is fixed upon the animal, a large 
net, drawn by one person at each end, may easily 
be passed over them. 
In the Orkney Isles, eggs and young birds are 
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BIRD-CHERRY. 
collected by the inhabitants, in a most daring 
and hazardous manner. They climb up rocky 
precipices, more than 50 fathoms above the sea, 
where the shelves or ledges are scarcely broad 
enough for the birds to rest, or to form their 
nests; and, passing from one ledge to another, 
collect the eggs and birds, and descend again 
with the greatest ease and indifference, Jn most 
cases, however, they make the attempt from 
above; and are let down by a rope frequently 
made of straw or hogs’ bristles, which are less 
apt than those made of hemp, to be cut by the 
sharpness of the rocks. A similar method is 
practised in the Feroe Islands, where the cliffs 
are in many places 200 fathoms high. 
In Mexico and China aquatic birds are taken 
by the natives in the following very simple but 
ingenious manner. Hmpty gourds are left con- 
tinually floating on the lakes, to which the birds 
resort, that they may be accustomed to approach 
them without alarm. The bird-catcher enters 
the lake with his body under water, and his head 
covered with a gourd; quietly advances to the 
ducks and geese that are swimming on the sur- 
face, and pulls them by the feet under the water, 
securing in this manner as many as he can carry 
away. 
BIRD-CHERRY,—botanically Cerasus Padus. 
A native deciduous fruit-tree, of the cherry genus. 
It grows wild in the woods of Britain, and of 
other parts of Europe. It is erect and handsome, 
and attains a height, commonly of twenty feet, 
and frequently of thirty. The bark of the older 
shoots has a dark brown colour, inclining to pur- 
ple, besprinkled with a few greyish spots; and 
the shoots of a preceding summer are smoother, 
and of a reddish hue. The buds for the future 
shoots begin to swell early in winter. The leaves | 
are large, nearly oblong, serrated, rough, lighter | 
in colour below than above, with two glandules 
at the base, and standing alternately on the | 
branches. Spikes or long bunches of white 
flowers are produced from the sides of the 
branches, appear in April and May, and, by 
waving loosely and easily in every breeze of 
wind, have a very pleasing effect. The flowers 
which compose each spike stand on their own 
proper footstalks, and are arranged alternately 
along the spike stem. The fruit is first green, 
next red, and finally black, and ripens in August; 
and it is a small drupe or stone-hearted berry. 
The beauty of the bird-cherry tree ought to 
obtain for it a frequent. place in shrubberies and | 
ornamental hedge-rows ; and its great attract on 
for birds ought always to procure for it promi- 
nence in every situation where the presence of 
the small-feathered songsters is desired. Its 
timber is hard and close-grained, and is used for 
making whip and knife handles. Its leaves are 
eaten by swine, goats, sheep, and black cattle, 
but refused by horses; they emit, when bruised, 
a fragrance resembling that of rue; and they 
contain very decided traces of prussic acid. Its 
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