served in the common game of bil- | loses one. 21. He who throws the stick upon the table, and hits the liards: 1. For the lead, the balls must be put at one end, and the player must strike against the farthermost cushion, in order to see what will be nearest the cushion that is next to them. 2. The nearest to the cushion is to lead, and choose the ball if he pleases. 3. The leader is to place his ball at the nail, and not to pass the middle pocket; and if he holes himself in leading, he loses the lead. 4. He who follows the leader must stand within the corner of the table, and not place his ball beyond the nail. 5. He who plays upon the running ball loses one. 6. He who touches the ball twice, and moves it, loses one. But these two rules are seldom if ever enforced, especially in England. 7. He who does not hit his adversary's ball loses one. 8. He who touches both balls at the same time, makes a foul stroke, in which case if he should hole his adversary, nothing is gained by the stroke; Besides the common winning but if he should put himself in, he game, which is twelve up, there are loses two. 9. He who holes both several other kinds, viz. the losing balls loses two. 10. He who strikes game, the winning and losing, choice upon his adversary's ball, and holes of balls, bricole, carambole, Russian himself, loses two. 11. He who carambole, the bar hole, the one plays at the ball without striking hole, the four game, and hazards. it, and holes himself, loses three. I. The losing game is the common 12. He who strikes both balls over game nearly reversed; that is to the table, loses two. 13. He who say, except hitting the balls, which strikes his ball over the table, and is absolutely necessary, the player does not hit his adversary's ball, gains by losing. By putting himself loses three. 14. He who retains in, he wins two; by putting his adthe end of his adversary's stick versary in, he loses two; but if he when playing, or endeavours to pockets both balls, he gets four. This baulk the stroke, loses one. 15. He game depends greatly upon particuwho plays another's ball or stroke lar strengths, and is therefore very without leave, loses one. 16. He necessary to be known to play the who takes up his ball, or his ad-winning game well. 11. The winversary's, without leave, loses one. 17. He who stops either ball when running, loses one, and being near the hole, loses two. 18. He who blows upon the ball when running loses one, and if near the hole, loses two. 19. He who shakes the table when the ball is running loses one. 20. He who strikes the table with the stick, or plays before his turn, ning and losing game is a combination of both games; that is to say, all balls that are put in by striking first the adversary's ball, reckon towards game; and holing both balls reckons four. At this game, and the losing, knocking over, or forcing the balls over the cushion, goes for nothing, the striker only loses the lead. III. Choice of balls, is choos ing each time which ball the player | particular place or spot; he being at liberty to put it where he pleases. When he begins to play, instead of striking at the red ball, he leads his own gently behind it, and his antagonist is to play at which he thinks proper; if he plays at the red ball and holes it, he scores three as usual towards the game, which is twentyfour instead of sixteen points; and the red ball is put upon the spot again, at which he may strike again or take his choice which of the two balls to push at, always following his stroke till both balls are off the table. He is entitled to two points each time that he caramboles, the same as at the other game; but if he caramboles, and puts his own ball into any hole, he loses as many as he might have got had he not holed himself: for example, if he strikes at the red ball, which he holes, at the same time caramboles and holes himself, he loses five points; and if he holes both balls when he caramboles, and likewise his own, he loses seven, which he could have got if he had not holed his own ball. In other respects it is played like the common carambole game. VII. The bar hole, is so called from the hole being barred which the ball should be played for, and the player striking for another hole; when this game is played against the common game, the advantage for the latter, between equal players, is reckoned to be about six. VIII. The player at the one hole, though it seems to those who are not judges of the game to be a great disadvantage, has in fact the best of it; for, as all balls that go into the one hole reckon, the pleases, which is doubtless a great advantage, and is generally played against losing and winning. IV. Bricole is being obliged to hit a cushion, and make the ball rebound, or return to hit the adversary's ball, otherwise the player loses a point. This is a great disadvantage, and is reckoned between even players to be equal to receiving about eight or nine points. V. Carambole is a game introduced from France. It is played with three balls, one being red, which is neutral, and is placed upon a spot on a line with the string nail (i. e. that part of the table whence the player strikes his ball at first setting off, and which is generally marked with two brass nails). Each antagonist, at the first stroke of a hazard, plays from a mark, which is upon a line with it, at the other end of the table. The chief object at this game is, for the player to hit with his own ball the two other balls, which is called a carambole, and by which the player wins two. If he puts in the red ball he gets two; so that seven may be made at one stroke, by caramboling and putting in both balls. This game resembles the losing, depending chiefly upon particular strengths, and is generally played with the cue. The game is sixteen up; yet is reckoned sooner over than the common game. The next object of this game, after making what we have distinguished by the carambole, is the baulk; that is, making the white ball, and bringing the player's own ball and the red one below the stringing nail, whence the adversaries begin. By this means the opponent is obliged to play bri-player endeavours to lay his ball cole from the opposite cushion, and it often happens that the game is determined by this situation. VI. The Russian carambole is a game introduced from abroad, and is played in the following manner: the red ball is placed as usual on the spot made for that purpose; but the player when he begins, or having been holed, never places his ball on any constantly before that hole, and his antagonist frequently finds it very difficult to keep one or other ball out, particularly on the leads, when the one hole player lays his ball (which he does as often as he can) on the brink of the hole; leading for that purpose from the opposite end, which in reality he has no right to do; for the lead should be given from the end of the table at which | the hazard is made: but this advantage is often taken of novices. IX. The four game, consists of two partners on each side, at the common winning game; who play by succession after each hazard, or two points lost. The game is fifteen up; so that the point or hazard is an odd number, which makes a miss at this game of more consequence than it is at another; being as much at four, six, or eight, as it is at five, seven, or nine, at the single game. X. Hazards, are so called because they depend entirely upon the making of hazards, there being no account kept of any game. Any number of persons may play, by having balls that are numbered; but the number seldom exceeds six, to avoid confusion. The person whose ball is put in pays so much to the player, according to what is agreed to be played for each hazard; and the person who misses pays half the price of a hazard to him whose ball he played at. The only general rule is not to lay any ball a hazard for the next player, which may be in a great measure avoided, by always playing upon the next player, and either bringing him close to the cushion, or putting him at a distance from the rest of the balls. The table, when hazards are played, is always paid for by the hour. BILLITTING (among Hunters). The ordure or dung of a fox. BINDING (in Falconry). term used in tiring; or when hawk seizes his prey. A a BIRD BOLTS. Three-headed arrows that were discharged at birds from a cross-bow. IITTI BIRD-CATCHING. The art of taking birds or wild-fowl, whether for food, for the pleasure of their song, or for their destruction, as being pernicious to the farmer, by means of nets, decoys, birdlime, &c. In the suburbs of London there are many persons who, during the months of October and March, get their livelihood by an ingenious, and, we may add, scientific method of bird-catching, totally unknown in other parts of Great Britain. The reason of this trade being confined to so small a compass arises from there being no considerable sale for singing birds except in the metropolis; and as the apparatus for the purpose is heavy, and must be carried on a man's back, it prevents the birdcatchers going to above three or four miles distance. This method of birdcatching must have been long practised, as it is brought to a most systematic perfection, and is attended with very considerable expense. The nets are a most ingenious piece of mechanism, are generally twelve yards and a half long and two and a half wide; and no one, till he becomes eye-witness of the puller's success, would imagine that a bird, which is so very quick in all its motions, could be caught by the nets flapping over each other. The wild birds fly, as the bird-catchers call it, chiefly during the month of October and part of September and November; as the flight in March is much less considerable than that of Michaelmas. The several species of birds of flight do not make their appearance precisely at the same time, during the months of September, October, and November: the pippet, a small species of lark, but inferior to the others in singing, for example, begins to fly about Michaelmas, and then the woodlark, linnet, goldfinch, chaffinch, greenfinch, and other birds of flight succeed; all of which are not easily caught, or in any numbers, at any other time; and more particularly the pippet and the woodlark. These birds, during the Michaelmas and March flights, are chiefly on the wing from daybreak to noon, though there is afterwards a small flight from two till night; but this is so inconsider joy in these call-birds to bring the wild ones into the same captivity, which may likewise be observed with regard to decoy ducks. Their sight and hearing infinitely excels that of the bird-catcher. The moment they see a hawk, they communicate the alarm to each other by a able, that the bird-catchers take up raise a greater heat, being perhaps their nets at noon. It well deserves examined about once a week to have the attention of the naturalist whence fresh water: the birds eat but little these periodical flights of certain during their confinement, from the birds arise. As the ground, how-putrid state of the air, which lasts ever, is ploughed during the months about a month; they frequently die of October and March, for sowing under the operation: and hence the the winter and spring corn, it should value of a stopped bird, as the birdseem that they are thus supplied catchers style it, rises greatly.— with a profusion both of seeds and When the bird has thus prematurely insects, which they cannot so easily moulted, he is in song, whilst the procure at any other season. It has wild birds are out of song, and his been observed, too, that during their note is louder and more piercing; sitting, they fly always against the but it is not only in his note he wind hence there is a great con- receives an alteration, the plumage tention among the bird-catchers who is equally improved. When the shall gain that point; if, for exam-bird-catcher has laid his nets, he ple, it is westerly, the bird-catcher disposes his call-birds at proper inwho lays his nets most to the east is tervals. There is a most malicious sure almost of catching every thing, provided his call-birds are good: a gentle wind to the south-west generally produces the best sport. The bird-catcher generally carries with him five or six linnets (of which more are caught than any other singing bird), two goldfinches, two greenfinches, one woodlark, one red-plaintive note; nor will they then poll, a yellow-hammer, titlark, and jerk or call, though the wild birds aberdavine (or barley-bird), and per- are near. But at any other time, haps a bullfinch; these are placed at the instant that the wild birds are small distances from the nets, in perceived, notice is given by one to little cages. He has, besides, what the rest of the call-birds, as by the are called slur-birds, which are placed first hound that hits on the scent to within the nets, are raised upon the the rest of the pack: after which slur, and gently let down at the follows the same sort of tumultuous time the wild bird approaches them. joy. The call-birds, while the bird The slur is a moveable perch to is at a distance, do not sing as a which the bird is tied, and which bird does in a chamber; they invite the bird-catcher can raise at plea- the wild ones by what the birdsure by means of a long string fast-catchers call short jerks, which, ened to it. The slur-birds generally when the birds are good, may be consist of the linnet, goldfinch, and heard at a great distance. The greenfinch, which are secured to the ascendancy by this call is so great, slur by what is called a brace, which that the wildest bird is stopped in secures the bird without injuring its flight, and lights boldly within the plumage. As it has been found twenty yards, perhaps, of three or that there is a superiority in birds four bird-catchers, on a spot which that are in song, the bird-catchers otherwise it would not have taken contrive that their call-birds should the least notice of. Nay, it fremoult before the usual time. In quently happens, that if only half a June or July, therefore, they put flock are caught, the remainder will them into a box made quite close, immediately afterwards light in the under two or three folds of blankets, nets, and share the same fate; and and leave their dung in the cage to should only one bird escape, that bird will suffer itself to be pulled at | (see LARKS) is in the night, with till it is caught: such a fascinating nets called trammels. These are power have these call-birds. usually made of thirty-six yards in length, and about six yards over, with six ribs of packthread, which at the ends are put upon two poles about sixteen feet long, and made lesser at each end. These are to be drawn over the ground by two men, and every five or six steps the net is made to touch the ground, otherwise it will pass over the birds without touching them. When they are felt to fly up against the net, it is clapped down, and then all are safe that are under it. The darkest nights are best for this sport; and the net will not only take larks, but all other birds that roost on the Various methods are used to catch different kinds of birds. The BULLFINCH, though not properly a singing bird or a bird of flight, as it does not often move farther than from hedge to hedge, yet, as it sells well on account of its learning to whistle tunes, and sometimes flies over where the nets are laid, the birdcatchers have often a call-bird to ensnare it, though most of them can imitate the call with their mouths. It is remarkable that the female bullfinch answers the purpose of a call-bird as well as the male, which is not experienced in any other species taken by the London bird-ground. catchers. In the depth of winter great numbers of larks are taken by nooses of horse-hair. The method is this: take one hundred or three hundred yards of packthread; fasten at every six inches a noose made of double horse-hair; at every twenty yards the line is to be pegged down to the ground, and so left ready to take them. The time to use this is when the ground is covered with snow, and the larks are to be allured to it by some white oats scattered all the way among the nooses. They must be taken away as soon as three or four are hung, otherwise the rest will be frightened; but though some are scared away just where the sportsman comes, others will be feeding at the farther end of the line, and the sport may be thus continued for a long time. Those caught in the day are taken in clapnets of fifteen yards long and two and a half broad; and are enticed within their reach by bits of lookingglass, fixed in a piece of wood, and placed in the middle of the nets, which are put in a quick whirling The NIGHTINGALE is not a bird of flight, in the sense in which birdcatchers use this term. Like the ROBIN, WREN, and many other singing birds, it only moves from hedge to hedge, and does not take the periodical flights in October and March. Those who take these birds make use of small trap-nets, and are considered as inferior in dignity to other bird-catchers, who will not rank with them. The arrival of the nightingale is expected, by the trappers, in the neighbourhood of London, the first week in April: at the beginning, none but cocks are taken; but in a few days the hens make their appearance, generally by themselves, though sometimes with a few males. The latter are distinguished from the females not only by their superior size, but by a great swelling of the vent which commences on the first arrival of the hens. They are caught in a net-trap, the bottom of which is surrounded with an iron ring; the net itself is rather larger than a cabbage-net. When the trap-motion by the string the larker compers see or hear them, they strew mands; he also makes use of a decoy some fresh mould under the place, lark. These nets are used only till and bait the trap with a meal-worm. the 14th of November; for the larks Ten or a dozen have been thus will not dare to frolic in the air, excaught in a day. cept in fine sunny weather, and of The common way of taking LARKS course cannot be inveigled into the |