BIRD-CATCHING, is an art which, as it is practised by means of bird-lime, nets, decoys, &c. has been sufficiently explained in the Encyclopaedia. But there is another method of catching birds alive, by means of a fusee or musket, which was invented by M. Vaillant during his travels in Africa, and is sufficiently ingenious to deserve a place here. It is as follows:
Put a smaller or larger quantity of powder into your fusee according as circumstances may require. Immediately above the powder place the end of a candle of sufficient thickness, ramming it well down; and then fill the barrel with water up to the mouth. When at a proper distance you fire a musket thus loaded at a bird, you will only flun it by watering and moistening its feathers; and if you be alert, you may easily lay hold of it before it have time to spoil its plumage by fluttering. Our author admits, that in his first attempts he often put too much powder, or too thick a piece of candle into his fusee, or fired at too short a distance; and when any one of these mistakes was committed, he generally found the candle entire in the animal's belly; but after a short apprenticeship he acquired sufficient skill to adjust matters so as that the water impelled by the powder went directly to the mark, whilst the tallow being lighter than the water fell short of it. If this method be indeed practicable (for not being sportsmen we have not made trial of it), it may on many occasions aid the researches of the ornithologist.
Birds Night, in cookery. See Encycl. and CAP and BUTTON in this Suppl.