The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-07-13

A bench was handy, and on these
the materials for snaring were laid out
and made ready, says London corre-
spondent of the st. Louis Globe-Demo-
crat. They were few and simple.
Each man had a stuffed male chaffinch
in full plumage mounted on short
length Of stick, in one end of which
was Q 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 inches long, and these, like the
stuffed birds mounting, were provided
at one end with q spike. A little
stone jar containing bird lime COM
pleted the outfit.
These preliminaries completed, we
made start for the forest, which was
close at hand, Bob the Butcher (who
had won the toss for first try) keeping
we'll in advance Of the rest of the
party. 1t could not, however, be said
that chaffinches 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 peggers. Their cages all the
time enveloped in the handkerchiefs,
they seemed to know exactly what
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 furze bush, and we all hur-
ried up to see the fun,
A cruel sport is chaffinch 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 jealous
regard for the welfare of his nest mate
the wife of his bosom. So nice are
his ideas Of dom estic felicity that
though his house Is no larger than the
hollow Of ones hand, he insists on
having tree all to himself for accom-
modation- No other pair Of chaffinches
may build there, nor must any male Of
the tribe come lafng round Sure as
he does fight ensues and the inter
loper Is driven away. 1t Is on the
chaffinch'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 maneuvering at the
trunk of the poplar tree, among the
boughs Of which wild finch was all
the time angrily responding to the
hidden Gagged birds challenge.
Producing his slips of whalebone
the butcher smeared them plentifully
with the bird lime, and. by means OF
the spiked ends stuck them here and
there in the tree trunk, and immedi-
ately beneath he fixed the stuffed bird.
1t was not till then that he placed the
decoy finch-its cage still tied up in
the handkerchief-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 watch
was produced and the. exact time
noted, and we all withdrew to the
screening of hedge close at hand,
peeping through the openings of which
we could see what was taking place in
the poplar tree. The hidden bird con-
tinuing his challenge" the wild bird
always answering, and each succeed.
ing time more fiercely-was presently
seen eagerly futtering this way in
search of the intruder. At last, green
eyed-and on that account purblind
probably-it caught sight of the harm.
less dummy down below, and, with q
shrek of rage, was down on 1t, swift
seemingly as stone from sling,
But the treacherous lined twigs inter.
cepted the savage pounce, and the
next moment, with its outstretched
wings held by the detached smeared
sticks. it fell helpless to the ground.