COUNTRY NEWS AND NOTES.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13739, 21 May 1910, Page 11

COUNTRY NEWS AND NOTES.

THE WILY "SPUG." (SPECIALLY WRITTEN FOR "THE I-.ESS.") (B\ C'AXTEItIIfKY.) "Sparrow" would be more elegant, but never mind, the word "spug'' is quite familiar: and tho "capture of the wily sppg" sounds much more exciting than plain common or garden unadorned sparrow-catching. In the winter holidays, anything in the nature of sport is sure to prove attractive to country boys; or possibly, from personal experience, to country grown-ups, also; and a sparrow-netting expedition is very good fun. if nothing else. To begin with, it should be carried out on a dark night, and there are certain preparations which appeal to ordinary boy, and make the proceedings more interesting. "Besides that,'' a young sporting friend of mine remarked, as be thoughtfully investigated the plumpness of a slain sparrow with his thumb, "there's lote of good meat on a spug, too."

First in the way of preparations there is the net, and as netting takes time, it is easiest to buy a piece of netting—half-inch mesh —twelve feet long, by six wide. Then cut a couple of thin poles about sixteen or seventeen feet in length, and having trimmed them up nice and smooth, tie a piece of thick string to the point of each and make it fast half-way down the pole, pulling the strings tight until each pole looks-dike a lacrosse bat. Next lash a strip of rawhide firmly to the points, joining them together as a hinge; spread the piece of netting over this framework, and tie it carefully along the poles. When they get in, the unfortunate spugs will scramble down the net to get out, and a foot of the netting should lie turned up at thc bottom and fastened on the side-poles, to make a bag inside which will prevent them doing so; and then your bat-fowling, or bat-I'oiding, net is ready for use.

* Other preparations are a beatingstick about ten feet long, to "roust out" the birds from ricks or trees whilo the net is held up in front of them; and a bull's-eye lantern in good going order. Last, but perhaps not least, some slight attention is generally given to the- matter of "grub," which, alter a plentiful tea has been rapidly stored away in the proper places," will be nearly enough to satisfy either boy or bud until their return frojn the raid. Bud means a sister-girl, or a cousin girl, who goes with you and is a sportsman, too; just as spug means sparrow.' Both terms are familiar nowadays, as I said before.

A properly arranged bat-fowling expedition consists of four, one to work tho net, another to beat, a "lantern man," and a "spug-extractor," whoso duty it is to take the sparrotvs out of the net and deal with them accordingly, but if any others want to join the party, tell them not to make a noise and take them. Silence is rather necessary ; and the darker the night the better, for on a moonlit night the wily sparrow is only half asleep, and has n very useful idea of getting out of clangor. Thc netman stands holding up the ojion net a couple of feet away from tlio stack or low pine tree, and ..tho beater comes behind him and taps gently, while the lantern man shines his light on the centre of the net to attract the game, or keeps it for showing the way as he is-directed. Presently a spug objects to being tapped even gently, and flies out into the net, when the net is quickly folded and thrown on the ground. Then' the fourth hand is supposed to fulfil'his task of dealing faithfully with the prisoner; but as a matter of fact therß is generally a scramble, and sometimes a "whirr" . announces tliat the wily spug has found an unguarded corner and escaped. However, practice improves, the next is probably captured, and so on until there is reasonable hope of a'sparrow pie, which if it also contains bacon and beefsteak is .not by any means to bo despised. When bushes or/hedges are to bo beaten, the. plan of action is different; the 'beater must get his. polo behind the covert, and beat it towards the net; if it is a hedge he must of course be on the opposite side, and a little behind the netman, who should hold the net as high over tho hedge as he can, for if blackbirds or thrushfes are roosting there, they rise into the air lit once, and many get clear away if the net is'held too low. So -y« go'.cn,' and the hours of a winter evening pass quickly in what I will answer for ns an interesting way; there must be many little incidents, and particularly the evening must be interesting to the "wily Snug."