Autumn is the time for taking birds in nets; some, attracted by a call-bird, or by food, come of their own accord into the trap; others, as the different species of larks, must be driven to the net; but spring is the best season for employing the decoy, or call-birds, concealed in cages, and also for catching the northern birds on their return from the southern countries to their own. It is the best time for observing the different sexes of these birds, for the males always arrive some days, or even a whole week, sooner than the females; hence it happens that at first the bird catchers take only the former, while the latter are caught afterwards. March and April are the best months for this sport, which should always be made in the morning from the break of day till nine o'clock, as afterwards the birds are too much engaged seeking their food to listen to the call of the decoy birds. As most of the house birds of the first class, are caught in the net, I shall describe the simple manner in which it is done in Thuringia. Some rather strong branches of oak and beech are chosen with their leaves on; about the space of a foot is cleared of leaves, a foot and a half from the top of the branches, and in this space notches are made for fixing lime twigs: the bush, when thus prepared, must be placed on an eminence in the most frequented part of the birds' path, for birds of passage have fixed roads which they always follow, and in which numbers may be seen, whilst about four hundred paces distant not one can be met with. These tracks generally follow the mountains which border on valleys. It is on these mountains then that the decoy bush must be placed; it must then be garnished with lime twigs, placed in an inclined position, and beneath on the ground must be put the decoy birds, covering their cages with branches of fir or any other tree, so that the birds cannot see one another, as that would prevent the birds of passage from stopping, and the others from calling. Decoy birds taken wild are preferred to those reared from the nest, for these never know the call note well, or at least do not repeat it often enough.