The St. Johns herald., 1895-06-13
BIRD CATCHING.
How tho Trick Is Done ia -c~' i
 by Professionals.
A Description of the Hcs!3cja = red in Sharing the Ct.aG-:1:c;l i:1
 Suburbs of Los,t3 :, I51-c.e
 the Ereax oF i,3J,


 A bench was ha l1y, and these the materials for S ari-:g y.-e~ i'd out and made ready, says q Il"~ c0rre- spondent of the St. Louis Giooe-Demo- cr2t. They were few and simple. Each man had stuffed male chafinch in full plumage mounted on g short length of stick, n one end of which w29 a sharp spike. Besides this the only tools of the craft were half q dozen pieces Of whalc5onc of about tue thickness Of an umbrella rib and nine inches long, and these, like the stuffed bird S mounting, were provided at one end with spike. A little stone jar containing bird lime com pleted the outfit.
 These preliminarie5 completed, we made start for the forest, which was close at hand, Bob the Butcher (who had won the toss for first try) keeping well in advance of the rest of the party. It coulI not, however, be said that chafDches were plentiful, though all round about us there was an abun- dance of bird music of alrnCst every other kind. It was not the fault of the valiant pcggcrs. Their cages all the time enveloped in the hcndlzcrchiefs, they seemed to know exactly what was required of them, and fred off their challenge loud and rigging, 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 a furZe bush, and we all hur- ried up to see the fun.
 A cruel sport is chafinch begging. 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 one's hand, he insists on having tree all to himself for accom- modation. No other pair of chafhrches may build there, TOT must any male of the tribe como 1Cafing round. Sure as he does q fight cn5ueS and the inter- loper is driven away. It is on the chathnch's known objection to visitors of his own species that the rascally bird catcher founds his hopes of suc- cess, as was speedily made manifest by Bob the Butchers naneuvering Gt the trunk Of the poplar tree, among the boughs of which wild finch was all the time angrily responding to the hidden cagcd birds challenge.
 Producing his slips of whalebone tho butcher cmeared them plentifully with the bird lime, and by means of the spiked ends stuck them here and there in the tree trunk, and inmedi- ately beneath he fixed the stuffed bird. It was not till then that he placed the decoy fnch-its cage still tied up in tho handl.erchicf-at the foot of the tree, and covered it over with a hand ful 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, pecping 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 fcrcely-was presently seen eagerly 1uttcring this way in search of the intruder. At last, green eycd-and on that account purblind probably-it caught sight of the harm less dummy down below, and, with shrick of rage, was down On it, swift seemingly as Q stone from Q sling. But the treacherous lined twigs inter- cepted the savage bounce, and the next moment. with it's outstretched wings held by the detached smeared sticks, it fell helpless to the ground.