The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-18
Fcathcred Fighter.
From the Phlladelphia Telegraph

From the Philadelphia Telegraph.
The redblrd, when it has gotten down
hard to home-making develops a remark.
able tendency 60 fight. At all other
times of the year he is as docile and gen,
tie 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. Redbird is installed queen
thereof he gets on his war paint and wiz
fight anything that comes along 1t IS
by taking advantage of the bravery of the
redbird in defending the home that the
hunter is enabled to snare it. The trap
used is a wire cage. Within this cage Is
a tame bird, one which has been in cap
tivity for year or two, and sings freely.
The hunter wanders into the woods ana
slowly makes his way through the
swamps until he reaches a dense portion,
when he halts.
Pretty soon the bird in the cage, de-
lighted, doubtless, at being again in its
native woods. even If bars stand between
IL and liberty. begins singing with all ita
might. If there is a redbird within SOUND
of the callers voice II hastens to investi-
gate. one of the peculiar habits of the
redbird, hunters say, is that there seems
by common consent to be a division of the
woods among them, each bird having APP
propriated to his especial jurisdiction
certain allotment of woods. Sometimes
other birds, either by mistake or for tho
purpose of acquiring more territory, in
wade the domain of another whereupon
there is a fierce fight which is called
off only when one or the other OF the
birds conquers, In which case the victor
becomes the possessor of the territory of
the two, together with the defeated bird 9
mate, who. IL seems, is no longer willing
TO share fortunes with her former lord
after he has proven himself a poor fighter.
The hunter has on one side of his cage
Tsa-N.s I
and to the center of a light iron rod
stretched perpendicularly across this frame
is attached in swinging position a short
rounded stick about six inches i'm length
This gate of netting is opened and kept In
that position by the wooden trigger at
tached TO the sides of the cage wherein is
the call bird This connection of the two
triggers is very delicate, and the slight
est touch will suffice to throw It, whereup-
on the netting frame door is quickly clos
ed by spring against the sides of the
cage. This is what holds the red bird
captive.
As soon as the hunter has set the trig-
ger of the cage he hangs it to a limb
somewhere or places it on the ground and
goes away some distance TO await re-
suits The imprisoned red bird soon be-
/ gins to sing, and presently, If there is a
red bird anywhere within hearing dis
lance, there is a flutter OF wings. a series
OF sharp cries. and before the hunter can
say scat the wild red bird flies head
long at his supposed enemy in the cage,
throws the trigger ana Is captured. II
takes very little longer 10 capture a red
bird at this time of the year than IL does
TO catch a fish. II once the Gagged bird
is placed in the right spot within the ter
ritory of the other red bird and he hears
its singing the rest is very easy. for re-
gardless of all personal safety and ev-
erythiug else. he rushes madly to the fight