Salt on a bird's tail (US 22)

[SRoweCanoe@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/26/2003 7:33:43 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
dve at kabelfoon.nl writes:
>> not so much a common phrase, but a widely believed folk story.... if 
>> you can sneak up behind a bird and sprinkle salt on it's tail - you 
>> can capture it.

>No! You ain't kidding! Or could it be that you coincidentally are a 
">BIG machine that can answer ANY question", or something? :-)
   
i recall going with my brother with a salt shaker looking for birds, 
this would be the late 1950s....

>> it was common useage by at least the 1840s
>> (mentioned in a book by  sir walter scott), and probably 1700s if 
>> not earlier

>Are there websites which have investigated this folk story of sprinkling 
>salt on a bird's tail? That trick doesn't really work, does it?
yes, there are websites (which is where I got the sir walter scott cite).
   dunno if any one has  actually put salt on a birds tail 

steven rowe
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