about two inches from the ground), it falls with his weight, the bent piece is released, and the trap having no support, of course falls, securing the bird

beneath it.

The CLAP-NET is the trap by which most if not all the song birds, sparrows for shooting, &c., are caught by bird-fanciers. It is made in this way: Two nets, 15 ft. long and 5 ft. wide, must be made of very strong thread, such as is used by tailors, and of a very small mesh. Then make four rods of deal without any knots in them, each 5 ft. long, and about the thickness of an ordinary walking-stick, one of which must be laced to each end of the two nets. One end of each of the rods must have a small brass ring screwed into it, and the other must have a hole bored through it. Then procure four pieces of elm board, 8 in. long, I in. thick, and 3 in. wide, cut to a point at one end, and having an opening 2 in. long and I in. wide, with a hole bored through them edgeways, for the purpose of forming a hinge, by means of a piece of thick wire, for the poles or rods to work in. They should be made thus:

When the net is to be set, an even piece of ground should be chosen, and all sticks, stones, high tufts of grass, &c., should be removed, and one of these cheeks," as they are called, should be driven into the ground. One of the nets should then be unfolded, and the end of the pole having the hole through it should be placed in the "cheek," and the wire run through it. It will be seen that the pole will work upon the wire from side to side. The net must then be drawn out to its full length, the "cheek" put in its place, and the pole fixed as before: the other net must be set exactly in the same manner. There should be an interval of 6 ft. between the nets, and they should be parallel to each other. A stout cord must be fastened to the ring at the end of each pole, and laid through the edge of the net its whole length, leaving 8 or 9 ft. to spare. It is as well, when the proper length is found, to tie a knot in the cord on each side of the brass ring, so that the end of the pole will always be kept in its place. The ends of the cord are left to be attached to stout pegs driven into the ground, as shown in the engraving.

A A, the nets; BBBB, the poles; cccc, the cheeks: D DDD, the pegs to which the guide-cords are fastened; E, the drawing-line.

The net shown in the engraving is supposed to be set ready for use. Great care should be taken that the pegs, D D D D, are so placed that they will exert an even pressure on the ends of the poles as they are turned over from one side to the other, and this should be done several times, until the exact proper position of the pegs is ascertained; for unless the net turns quickly and evenly all attempts at success are in vain. It will be seen that the "drawing-line," E, is not attached evenly to the poles. The reason is, that it is necessary that one net should turn over a little in advance of the other; for, unless it did so, it would "foul" the other net, whereas, by being drawn as described, the two nets fall clear of each other.

It is usual in catching song birds, such as linnets, goldfinches, &c., to place "call birds" in small cages near the nets, and also to have what is called a "slur bird," which is a living bird, having a "brace" made

of bobbin placed across the back and in front of and behind the wings, and secured at the lower part of the chest. The "slur" is merely a stout peg of wood, having a mortice in it, into which a thin rod about 15 in. long is placed, with a wire run through it, so that it will move up and down when the string attached to it is pulled.

Directly any birds are seen near the net, the "slur" line is pulled, the "slur bird" is drawn up, and naturally flutters, and thus attracts them to the net. The "slur bird" should be placed between the nets, and round him seeds, berries, thistles, &c. It is most difficult to convey on paper an exact description of this most excellent trap; but at most places, particularly in the immediate neighbourhood of London, bird-catchers are always to be found, who, for a trifling remuneration, would gladly give a practical description of it. The common SIEVE TRAP, well known to almost every schoolboy, must not be omitted, nor should it be despised. Many and many an hour during the Christmas holidays, and on a piercing cold day, have we sat anxiously watching a trap of this description, and have been amply rewarded for our pains. Sparrows, blackbirds, thrushes, fieldfares, greenfinches, chaffinches have fallen victims to this simple contrivance; a common garden sieve, a stick about a foot long, and about thirty yards of fine string being all the apparatus required. The accompanying engraving will fully explain itself. Some bait, such as grain, berries, bread, &c., must be laid on the ground under the sieve, and the moment a bird is attracted sufficiently under it, the line must be suddenly pulled; the sieve, having no support, of course falls, and the bird is secured.

The same trap may be made on a larger scale by covering a hurdle with a piece of fine net, which answers admirably in a farmyard for catching sparrows. It is, however, cold and tedious work, as it can only be practised with success during frost, or when the ground is covered with snow.

A very simple way of taking rooks, which are as shy and cunning as any bird, has been most successfully practised, although rooks, when they have once left their nest and begun the world on their own account, and become independent of their papas and mammas, are quite unfit for food, it is done more for the fun of the thing than for any use arising from it. When these birds follow the plough in search of worms, grubs, &c., is the most favourable time for this fun-we will not call it sport. Make up some cones of stiff brown paper-similar in shape to those in which grocers pack small quantities of sugar-then smear the inside of the larger end with bird-lime, and at the bottom place a grub, a bean, or piece of meat, and thrust the pointed end into the soft ground that has just been turned up by the plough. The rook, seeing the bait, pecks at it; his head coming in contact with the bird-lime adheres firmly to the paper, and he is instantly hoodwinked, deprived of sight, and almost of the power of breathing. The poor bird is in a sad plight, and usually takes to flying upwards, and then darting in different directions, so exhausting himself that he soon comes to the ground, and is, of course, easily caught.

Another most excellent trap for birds, such as fieldfares, blackbirds, &c., is made as follows: Take a hazel stick about 18 in. long, and pointed at both ends, and having fixed upon the spot for setting it (there is no better place than a few feet from a high hedgerow), thrust each end in the ground, so that it forms an arch of about one-third of a circle; then take a stout hazel stick, about 3 ft. in length, and having pointed the thicker end, thrust it upright into the ground at a spot at right angles with your arch, and at such a distance from it that, when its point is bent down to within 18 in. of the ground, it will be exactly over the arch. To the end of this stick must be tied about a yard of whipcord, having a running noose at its end; then take a piece of a thick bramble-for this is most easy to bend without breakingand bending it until the two ends meet and cross one another. Tie them together; it will then be exactly the shape of a horse-collar. In the upper one of the two ends cut a notch, then, holding the notch against the upper part of the arch, drive a stout peg into the ground, and over it place the round end of the trigger just described. To set the trap, bend down the hazel stick (having

tied a knot in the string, which should De previously passed through a small flat piece of wood about 2 in. long, bevelled at one end), pass the running noose under the arch; the bevelled end must be placed in the notch cut in the trigger, and the other end must rest against the arch. The noose must be made larger in circumference than the trigger, and must be spread round it. It will be seen that immediately a bird perches on the trigger he disengages the small piece of wood; the hazel stick springing up, the noose catches the bird by the neck. Bait should, of course, be placed in the centre of the noose.

Immense numbers of larks are caught in horse-hair nooses, which are set in the following manner: Having found a place on the snow frequented by these birds, take about fifty yards of stout string, and stretching it to its full length, peg it down at each end, and at intervals of 18 in. attach the nooses, which should be spread out about the size of the top of a tumbler. Then place all along each side of the line a thin layer of black oats and very small seeds. The larks, attracted by the seeds, and running (for larks do not hop, as most small birds do) amongst it, are at once caught in the nooses. It is as well to be concealed near the spot, so that the birds may be taken out as soon as may be although in doing so the birds not caught will, of course, be scared, they will soon return after the nooses are reset.

A very successful method of catching small birds is by means of the BATFOWLING NET, and the most vivid recollections of our Christmas holidays in years long since gone by are conjured up before us as we call to mind the piercing cold nights we have braved in following this sport. As the bat-fowling net is procurable at most of the large net and twine shops in London, it is needless to give a more minute description of it than to say that it is a smallmeshed net, about 7 ft. long and 4 ft. 6 in. wide, attached to two light ash poles, the tops of which are bent and hinged together with leather, the bottom of the net being turned up about nine inches, so as to form a bag.

The method of using this net is as follows: there must be three persons engaged-one to hold the net, another to carry a lantern, and a third to "bash" or beat the bushes, ivy, corn-ricks, &c. The darkest nights should be chosen, and if a stiff breeze is blowing so much the better, for the birds then roost low and are not able to hear so well. The net should be held about a foot from the bush, &c., and the lantern so held that the light be thrown evenly all over the back of the net. The bush should then be slightly beaten, and the birds, on being disturbed, will fly against the net, which should be instantly closed and brought to the ground, and the birds secured. In working ivy or the side and eaves of a corn-rick, two persons will generally be found sufficient, as the birds may be roused from their slumbers by rubbing one of the poles of the net against it. We have known as many as eighteen or twenty sparrows, chaffinches, greenfinches, &c., taken at a single haul, and eight and nine dozen in the course of an evening.

This mode of bird-catching cannot be too quietly performed, and the lantern should be covered in walking from one place to another, and, indeed, at all times when not actually in use, provided it be not too dark to see one's way. Thick bushes, such as laurel, holly, fir, &c., are the favourite resort of small birds, as also is ivy and the sides and eaves of corn and hay-stacks. In sheds thatched with straw sparrows are easily taken by throwing the light from the lantern up the corners of them, and then beating the thatch. The birds will fly to the light and gradually flutter down the wall, when they may be taken with the hand. Care should be taken never to remove the candle from the lantern, for two reasons: firstly, on account of the danger that may arise from straw, &c., being set on fire, and secondly, because the light may be extinguished by the birds fluttering against it.

AAA A, the net; B B,

the bag: CC, two strings, bent in their proper powhich keep the poles sition; E, the leathern hinge.

Having described what we consider to be the best kinds of traps for the taking of birds alive, we will now proceed to give directions for the construction of those which are best adapted for the destruction of vermin, and in doing so we are indebted to the kindness of Captain Darwin, the author of "The Game Preserver's Manual," by whose special permission we are enabled to give our readers the benefit of his experience. The first on the list is the "DEAD FALL," which is intended for such vermin as rats, stoats, weasels, &c., and is described in his own words as follows:

"No. 1.-The body of the trap must be 3 ft. long, 11 in. high, and 4 in. wide (inside), and the wood of which the treadle is made must be of oak, the body of the trap being deal. The treadle is 1 ft. long and in. thick. It works in the floor of the trap in an open space left for it. It must not, however, be flush with the floor, but rather below it, or the weight of the drop will most probably break the pins on which the treadle works. These latter must be of brass and about as thick as a quill. They must be driven into each side of the treadle exactly at the centre.

"The holes in the trap on which these pins work should be burnt with a red-hot round iron after boring, or the wet weather will swell the wood and

make the pins bind. On one of these pins the iron point, A, must be riveted. This pin must be made with a square end where riveted, or the point A will turn round on it. When put into the treadle the point A ought to stand away from the body of the trap about one inch, and be perfectly upright.

"B is a piece of bell-spring about 6 in. long (or, better still, a piece of truss-spring), and pointed at one end to meet the point A. This spring must be fastened with a couple of screws to the side of the trap directly over A, and should project so far downwards that the end of A has about in. hold on it. "C is a piece of brass or iron plate, about in. thick, with a hole in it, to tie the string to, that suspends the weight. DD are two strong screws standing out about 2 in. When screwed in and the grooves in their heads horizontal, file away the under half of the heads as deep as the groove. A piece of 1-in. bar iron, flat at one end to allow of two screws, must be fixed in the position shown in the full drawing of the trap.

"It must be made in an arched form at the top to stand over the centre, and a small pulley must be fixed at that end.

"The weight consists of a piece of wood, E, about 3 in. square, and 2 ft. 2 in. iong. A staple is driven exactly into the centre, and a string goes from C to this staple.

"To set the trap, press down the spring B, and put it just under the point A; then pass the string over the pulley, and let c catch across the half-grooves in the two screws, D D. The weight ought to hang with its top edge about even with the top of the trap. A weasel running over the treadle at either end disengages the two points, and the spring flying up, strikes C out of the two catches, and the weight drops.