Evening star., 1897-01-02
A STOUT LITTLE FIGHTER.
whose Fighting Disposition Oftea
Gets Him Into Trouble.
From he phfla acIt,hfa rel.crarh

Get. Him Into Trouble.
From the Philadelphia Telegraph
The redbird. when IL has gotten down
hard to home-making. develops a remark
able tendency to fight. At all other times
OF the year he is as docile and gentle as
any In the woods-indeed rather inclined TO
take a great deal from other birds: but as
soon as the nest is completed and Mrs Red
bird Is installed queen thereof he gets on
his war paint and will fight anything that
comes along. Il is by taking advantage OF
the bravery OF the redbird in defending the
home that the hunter Is enabled to snare
II The trap used is wire cage. Within
TINS cage is tame bird. one which has
teen in captivity for a year or two and
sings freely. The hunter wanders into the
woods and slowly makes his way through
the Swanips until ne reaches a dense por-
ucn, when he haits. Pretty soon the bird in
the cage, delighted. doubtless, at being
again In its native woods even IL bars
stand between II and liberty, begins singing
WITH all Its might IL there is a redbird
within the sound of the callers voice il
nastens to investigate. One of the peculiar
habits OF the redbird. hunters say, is that
tnere seems. by common consent TO be a
division of the woods among them each
GIRO having appropriated to his especial
jurisdiction certain allotment of woods
ooneumes other birds, either by mistake
OF Ior the purpose of acquiring more terri
tory. invade the domain of another where
upon there is fierce fight. which is called
oii oiiiy When one or the other of the birds
ccnquers, in which case the victor becomes
the possessor of the territory of the two
tosether with the defeated birds mate who
IL seems. is no longer willing to share for
tunes with her former lord after he has
proven himself poor fighter.
Ihe hunter has on one side of his cage a
light net. bouad about by a light frame. anI
to the center of a light iron rod, stretched
pefpendicularly across this frame is attach
eu IN swinging position a short rounded
SUCK, about six inches I'm length This gate
OF netting Is opened and kept in that posi-
lien by the wooden trigger which is braced
against another similar trigger attached 20
.ne SIDES or the cage wherein is the call
rru. Ihls connection of the two triggers is
very oehcate, and the slightest touch will
suInoe TO throw Ii, whereupon the netting
ni aialle door Is quickly closed by a spring
against the sizes Of the cage This is what
hcids the redbird captive.
As soon as the hunter has SET the t,iygar
Oh MS cage ne hangs IL to a limb somew n, "a
VI places II on the ground and goes awav
sohe Instance to await results The imnris-
oieu reapird sosn begins TO sing and pres-
ently, II there is redbird anywhere w,,bI,
nearing distance, there is a fiulter of wings
Il series Oh sharp cries. and before the bunt
er Can say Scati' the wild redhird flies
heddiong at hts supposed enemy in the
Iese, tnroWs the trigger and is captured
IL takes very little longer to capture a rod
tIu at thls time OF the year than Ii does %
oatch nsh- If once the Gagged bird a
placed in the right spot within The territory
oi tne other redbirds and he hears its sing
Hs, the rest Is very easy. for regardless Of
all personal safety and eyeryt hing elea ba
fushes madly TO the fight