Identifier: oursearchforwild00nile (find matches)
Title: Our search for a wilderness; an account of two ornithological expeditions to Venezuela and to British Guiana
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Niles, Blair Beebe, William, 1877-1962
Subjects: Natural history Birds
Publisher: New York, H. Holt and company

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e,contrary to the ethics of all good bird-catchers, for if the birdfalls to the ground with its stick, it is much more certain tobe secured, and less liable to injure itself. However, this isBritish Guiana. Having made his set-up, the youth steals softly backand conceals himself a short distance away. As soon asleft to themselves, the birds, if they be experienced, com-mence their song. Soon, an answering call is heard. In-stantly the decoys cease their song, and send forth theirsharp call-notes. Soon the curious stranger appears, per-haps a fine adult male, full of eagerness for a battle. If thisbe the case the songs are again resumed, and the climax ofthe concert is almost certain to be the capture of the chal-lenger. If the visitor be a coy female, the seductive call-notes 128 OUR SEARCH FOR A WILDERNESS. are continued, and, though the time required may be greater,she is nearly as certain to be captured. Callow youngstersout for their first exploring trip, are of course the easiest
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Fig. 65. Taltput Palm in Hlossom. victims. But when the trapper has taken a bird or twofrom this locality he must move on or give up for the day,for he will take no more. The trapping methods of these people are, of course, GEORGETOWN. 129 very primitive. They know nothing of clap-nets; they laughat the idea of catching birds with an Owl, as practisedsuccessfully in the North. A black boy will bend hisgummed wire securely on a likely twig, and lie all day onhis back in the shade, hoping that a bird may light on it.Birds to whose capture they are not equal are very apt tobe licked — stunned by a bullet from a sling-shot — andfoisted on the unwary purchaser. These unfortunates, ofcourse, rarely live more than a day or two. No regard is shown for nesting birds or nestlings. Cas-siques and Orioles are captured by adjusting a string aboutthe mouth of the long pendulous nest, and closing it tightlywhen the bird has entered to hover its eggs. In two instances,a black boy was seen to capt

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