The Delta independent., 1893-11-22
BIRD CATCHING.
How tho Trick Is Done in England
by Trofeesionals.
A Description OF the ,Ie.hods Employed
In SnarinE the Chnflnch In the
Suburbs of London Ijcforc
the Ereax OF Day.

A bench was handy, and on these
the materials for snaring were laid ont
AID made ready, says a London corre-
spouLort of the St. Louis Globe-Dcrno-
crat They were few and simple.
Zach man had 4 stuffed male chafiinch
in full plunagc mounted on short
length of stick, in one end of which
was e sharp spike. Besides this the
only tools of the craft were half a
dozen pieces of whalebone of about
the thickness of an umbrella rib and
nine inche: long, and these. like the
stuffed birds mounting, were provided
u: one end with spike. 4 little
stone jar containing bird lime com
Dlctcd the outfit.
These preliminaries completed, we
made a start for the forest, which was
close at hand. Bob the Butcher (Evho
had won the toss for first try) l;eeping
well in advance of the rest of the
party. 1t could not, however, be said
that chafiinches were plentiful, though
all round about us there was an abun-
dance of bird music of almost every
other kind. 1t was not the fault of the
valiant pegEcrs. Their cages all the
time envelopcd in the handkerchiefs,
Incy stsHtd 10 i.EO" cadSliy "iiat
was required of them, and fired off
their challenge loud and ringing. at
the rate of at least three within the
minute. But presently Bob the Butcher.
who was some twenty yards ahead,
held up his hand in token that he had
at last found something" On that the
sailor boy was placed for the time be-
ing under q furze bush. and we all hur-
ried up to see the fun.
A cruel sport is chafiinch pegging.
Not that any actual pain is inflicted on
the poor birds in the act of capture,
though no doubt they are most terri
bly, frightened. The villainy of the
business lies in the unfortunate finch
being made the victim of his jealouE
regard for the welfare of his nest mate
the wife of his bosom. So nice are
his ideas of dom este felicity that
though his house is no larger than the
hollow of ones hand, he insists on
having a tree all to himself for accom-
notation. No other pair of chaflinches
may build there, nor must any male of
the tribe come l"afing round. Sure as
he docs 4 ight ensues and the inter
loper is driven away. II is on the
chafiinch's known objection to visitors
of his own species that the rascally
bird catcher founds his hopes of sue
cess, as was speedily made manifest by
Bob the Butchers mancuvcring at the
trunk of the poplar tree, among the
boughs of which wild finch wcs all
the time angrily responding to the
hidden Gagged birds challenge.
Producing his slips Of whalcbone
the butcher IE7carcd them plcntifully
with the bird lime, and by means OF
the spiked ends stuck them here and
there in the tree trunk, and immcdi-
ately beneath he fixed the stuffed bird.
1t was not till then that he placed the
dccoy finch-its cage still tied up in
the handlScrchicf-at the foot of the
tree, and covered it over with hand
full or two of grass. This was the
pitch and on the instant 4 watch
was produced and the exact time
noted. and we all Withdrew to the
screening of hedge close at hand,
pccping through the openings of which
we could see what was taking place in
the poplar tree. The hidden bird con-
tinuinE his challenge the wild bird
always answering, and each succeed
ing time more ticrccly-was presently
seen eagerly fluttcring this way in
search of the intruder. At last, green
cycd-nnd on that account purblind
probably-it caught sight of the harm
less dummy down below, and, with n
shricli of rage, wns down on it, swift
seemingly rs stone from sling.
But the trcacherous lined twigs inter
ccpted the savage pouncc, and the
next moment, with its outstrctchcd
wings held by the detached smcared
sticks, il fell helpless to the ground.