Savannah morning news., 1885-09-22
SHARING PARTRIDGEs IN ASIA
Afghanistans Di-guised az LeOparGs-
The rurkestan BOw-HindoO Snares.

From the London TeieJraDh.
The natives OF Candahar adopt a very
novel and successful method Of enticing
partridges within reach. They wear a
mask or long veil ofa coarse yellow cotton
cloth, dotted all over with black spots,
having eyeholes, and hanging IN loose
folds round the body OF the sportsman.
Thus disguised, he creeps cautiously on
| hands and knees toward the spot whence
the "chIcko" calls. The bird takes him
for a leopard, an animal 70 which 1t has
the greatest aversion, and VIII collect all
its species in the neighbOrh0Od with loud
calls, and allow the make-belief 10 APP
pr0ach while they scream and hutter,
when with gun or net ne can secure them
with little difficulty.
For partridge catching peculiar kind
of bow is used in Turkestan. 1t Is formed
Of long elastic rod, which is stuck INTO
the ground and then bent down and held
iu that position by a small catch ar
ranged on a fOrk-shaped twig stuck in.
the ground; upon the catch are placed
small strips, on which the moose Of the
bow is ranged. under which some food is
strewn, generally Indian corn. As soon
rs the bird steps on one of the sticks
placed on the catch the bow becomes de-
tacned, and he flies upward with the
latter, caught III the moose either by the
leg or head.
There is another original appliance for
catching partridges in the same country,
which NAV be called, for the want Of
better term, fowling line. 1t consists OF
peg, with strong twine attached to 1t,
on the end OF which is fastened a grain OF
Indian corn. A whole row OF these
pegs are driven into the ground along a
path among the reeds. The partridge or
pheasant in swallowing the grain be-
comes captive, and remains attached to
the peg until the sportsman makes his
appearance,
These birds and smaller ones are taken
by Pardis, wandering tribe Of Indians,
in long, cOnical bag nets, kept open by
hoops and provided with a pair Of folding
doors BullOcks are used to walk through
the long jungle grass and drive the birds
into the nets, without alarming them
sufficiently to cause them to fly After
the usual thOughtless cruelty OF their race
the Pardis break both wings and legs OF
each bird directly after capture, and thus
the miserable victims are carried through
hot morning sun, all basketed together,
to market
The HindOos are said to equip them
selves with light framework OF split
bambOOs, resembling the skeleton Of a
kite, and covered with green twigs, leav-
ing two loopholes to see through and an
other lower down for the insertion OF the
rod. This they fasten before them when
they are in the act of catching birds, thus
leaving both hands at liberty and remain
ing completely concealed from view. The
wand they use is "a feet long, resembling
"a fishing rod. They also carry with them
hOrsehaic nOOses of different sizes and
strength, likewise bird lime and a variety
Of calls, with which they can initiate the
various birds notes with the utm Ost
ncety- AS they proceed through the
various covers they use the different calls
for the birds they think reside there, and
when the call is answered, suppose it be a
bevy of quails, they continue calling them
until they get quite close; they then arm
the top Of their rod with u feather smeared
in bird lime, and pass it through the
lower hole in their frame of ambush, and
continue adding other parts until they
have five or six out, which they use with
great dexterity, finally touching one of
the quails with the feather, which ad-
heres to them. They then withdraw the
rod, arm it again, and touch three or four
more in the same manner before they at
tempt to snare any OF them.