The Red Cloud chief., 1884-05-23
Bird.Ltne and Its Uses.

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Bird-lime is a tenacious, sticky sub
stance, used to smear twigs or sticks
for the purpose of catching birds tina,
may alight thereon, and might be used
for destroying the pestiferous European
sparrows which are rapidly becoming
great nuisance in all our large towns
and their suburbs. l. can also be EN-.
| ployed for catching fruit-eating birds,
or forcing them to leave the garden and
orchard; for q bird that once sets foot
on a fresh splash of bird-lime and is no,
caught will be very likely to leave the
locality and not revisit it again during
the season. Although bird-lime is
made in the United States in small
quantities. Japan is probably the only
country in which it is regularly manu-.
featured on a large scale. 1t is made
from the bark of the mochi tree, an
evergreen with thick evergreen leaves.
The manufacture extends over several
months. The bark is taken from the
trees in June aud macerated in water
about forty days: after which it is beaten
in q mortar with a pestle shOd with
iron, the flat under surface of which is
armed with spikes projecting down.
ward. When the mass in the mortar
becomes glutinous it is taken out and
washed in water to remove as much OF
the rough outer bark as possible. 1t is
then again pounded and treated in q
vessel of hot water on which it floats.
Here it is again manipulated by the
wOrkmen for the purpose of disengsg-
ing the remaining particles of bark.
After this it is again washed in cold
water. These processes of pounding.
boiling and washing are repeated until
about nine-tenths OF the original mass
is washed away, and the material be-
comes sufficiently clear and pure. 1t is
then . dull whi:ish color, extremely
viscid. and of a very gummy consisren-
cy. When well prepared it is said to
keep good for a long time.
An interior article is made in Europe
from the bark of the common holly,
treated ia a Il similar to that
above described. Other preparations
have been made under the same name,
but without the same results. Arecent
writer, speaking of the uses to which
this article is put by the japanese, SAYS
that they are far more diverse than one
would suspect. the principal One being,
of course. the sharing of birds and ami
mails. BY { of bird-lime. animals
as large as monkeys are caught. When
they once get the stuff upon their paws.
they soon cover themselves with it, and
SO exhaust themselves in trying to get
rid of it that they fall an easy prey.
Birds as large as ducks are taken, and
by a very ingenious process. The
young shoots of the w~istaria, which at
tain considerable length, and are strong.
light and flexible, are gathered. dried
and knOtted together in one continuous
length. This is smeared with bird-lime,
and iiOated out to sea where very often
in the morning the hunter is rewarded
by the capture of several birds. 1t is 3
very inexpensive method of bagginS
wild fowl, rs the tackle will serve any
number of times till the bird-lime dries.
when it is easily replaced. There is no
noise made in this kind of hunting to
drive away the ducks. or to inform the
neighbOrs of what is going on about the
haunts of wild fowl.
Small birds are caught in various
ways, some by means OF a decOy bird
concealed near a patch of tempting
food. which is plentifully planted with
little splinters of wood, like large
needles. the upper half of which are
covered with lime. In China and Japan
they use bamboo spl;nters. but those
made Of Eastwood or any similar light
kind will answer Just as well. The
Japanese also catch small birds on trees
by using long bamboo rods. the tops of
which are smeared with the lime, and
then stealthily thrusting them against
their feathers. Rats and mice are easily
caught by spreading a small quantity
of nird-lime on pieces of paper OF
board, and placing these near their
poles. 1t is also spread upon the leaves
of the bamboo and universally employed
throughout Japan for catching flies and
other insects. Even ilea-traps are made
of it. and used by the Japanese in bed.
Bird-lime has as vet been very little
used in this country, but it could be in
trOduced tc advantage in manys sections
and Tor many purposes; and if the En-
gliSh SparrowS are to be destroyed, it
can be done nor rapidly and with less
danger with traps than with powder
and shot, although the former may not
afford quite so much sport to boys who
are fond Of a gun, and take more pleas.
ure in a noisy hunt than a still one
n. Y. Sun.