slit in a thick twig, so that it cannot oscillate, and in front of it is placed a sprig with berries, which must be service berries if it is wished to catch large birds, but elder berries if smaller ones. When the bird steps upon the springe it falls down, the legs get into the noose, the springe flies back and holds it firmly fixed,

As thread nooses frequently hang limp, especially after rain, which prevents the bird's leg from getting into the springe; to remedy this, a blade of grass is taken, fixed between, and thus they are kept open.

The so-called Up-Springe (fig. 6, p. 35), is made like ordinary springes, excepting that they are not all of one piece. Thus a piece of stick, of the thickness of the thumb, or thicker, and varying in length, is stuck into the ground, or a similar stem growing in the ground is used; you then cut the notch and bore the hole as before directed; the slip-knot is passed through the hole, and fastened to a snapper or spring, which is drawn down from a neighbouring hedge, bush, or tree, and the noose is fixed as before. The springe is usually set in this way in Thuringia and other parts of Germany.

When the season is past the nooses are taken out, and the latter kind can be used again the following year, when a fresh snapper or spring must be selected; but the springe itself cannot be again used, as it soon looses its elasticity.

Not to be troubled with too much baggage, and the better to convey the captured birds, bird-cages are so made that they can be folded together and carried in the pocket. But only such birds can be so treated as are not of a wild character, as Goldfinches, Siskins, Linnets, &c. Others, for instance, the Common Finch, Larks, &c., are very wild when caught, and must be placed either in a linen bag or in a bag of net, into which a cover of felt is inserted. When arrived at home the wilder kinds should be hung up in the dark, and

covered over with branches of leaves, or a cloth, to prevent their injuring themselves or spoiling their plumage. A little observation, however, will show the best practice to adopt, which is not the same in its application to every species.

SECTION VIII.-SYSTEM OF CLASSIFICATION.

In giving the history of cage birds many modes of arrangement might be proposed. I could take them in the order of their size, or according to the object of their being kept. In this view I should necessarily have to speak first of those birds which charm us by their song, and then of those which delight the eye by the beauty of their plumage: following this arrangement, the foreign would precede the natives of Europe, and I should thus have to take first such as may be tamed adult, and then those which must be trained young. But as none of these methods of arrangement present any especial advantage, I prefer adopting an easy and simple classification for their successive description. This has further, I conceive, the advantage of admitting of easier comparison with other ornithological writings and systems. I beg to remark here, that several species of birds, possessing characters in common in the structure of their legs and feet, are united into a genus, and several genera which have collective characters into an order. Thus all the species of Owls belong to one genus, and the Owls and Hawks to one order, which is called Birds of Prey.

BIRDS of prey which live upon the destruction of other animals, or upon flesh, have a curved hook-shaped beak, and strong feet with sharp talons.

These birds are the special objects of falconry and of birdcatching, for by means of several kinds of Falcons, birds are chased or caught, and by means of different species of Owls, the small birds are attracted to the fowling-floor and huts. As birds of prey do not sing, cannot be taught to speak, produce much filth, and are usually difficult to tame, bird-fanciers have little inducement to keep them; but three species form an exception, from their beauty, their being easily tamed, or from their agreeable manners, namely, the Kestrel Falcon, the White Owl, and the Little Owl.

1. THE KESTREL FALCON.

FALCO TINNUNCULUS. Linn. Syst. Nat.-Lath. Ind. Orn.-KESTREL. Mont. Orn. Dict.-FAUCON CRESSERELLE. Temm. Man. d'Orn. -KESTREL. FALCO TINNUNCULUS. Selb. Illustr.-DER THURMFALKE. Bech.

DESCRIPTION.-Is about the size of the Turtle-dove, namely, fourteen inches long, six of which comprise the tail; to twothirds of the length of which the folded wings extend; beak bluish black, ten lines long, with a large curvature or tooth. The irides, as also the feet, and the cere, yellow; tarsi, two inches high.

Males and females are not only conspicuously different in size like almost all birds of prey, the female being about onethird larger than the male, but also in colour. They are, as I have before said, handsome birds. In the former, the vertex and tail are of a beautiful light grey; the end of the latter marked with a broad black bar; the back and coverts of the wings of a brownish red with scattered black spots the under part of the body of a rusty rosy red with black longitudinal spots; legs and rump of the same colour; the tail feathers dark brown spotted white within.

In the female, the back and wings are of a beautiful rust colour interspersed with many transversed black stripes. The head is bright red brown with many transverse stripes, the tail also equally striped, and towards its tip is a black bar similar to that of the male, and the tip itself in both is very pale.

HABITAT. It is found throughout Europe, especially in mountainous and wooded districts, where rocky precipices and old ruins occur. As a migratory bird, it goes away with the Larks in October, and is then only to be found in pairs, sometimes hovering in the air over a Lark or a mouse. It returns in February and March.

BIRDS of prey which live upon the destruction of other animals, or upon flesh, have a curved hook-shaped beak, and strong feet with sharp talons.

These birds are the special objects of falconry and of birdcatching, for by means of several kinds of Falcons, birds are chased or caught, and by means of different species of Owls, the small birds are attracted to the fowling-floor and huts. As birds of prey do not sing, cannot be taught to speak, produce much filth, and are usually difficult to tame, bird-fanciers have little inducement to keep them; but three species form an exception, from their beauty, their being easily tamed from their agreeable manners, namely, the Kestrel F the White Owl, and the Little Owl.