The Bontoc Igorot by Albert Ernest Jenks
page 115 of 483 (23%)
page 115 of 483 (23%)
![]() | ![]() |
|
|
The Igorot claim to have two other "cats," one called "co'-lang,"
as large as in'-yao, with large legs and very large feet. A Spaniard living near Sagada says this animal eats his coffee berries. The other so-called "cat" is named "si'-le" by the Igorot. It is said to be a long-tailed, dark-colored animal, smaller than the in'-yao. It is claimed that this si'-le is both carnivorous and frugivorous. These two animals are trapped at times, and when caught are eaten. During the year the boys catch numbers of small birds, all of which are eaten. Probably not over 200 are captured, however, during a year. The ling-an', a spring snare, is the most used for catching birds. I saw one of them catch four shrikes, called ta'-la, in a single afternoon, and a fifth one was caught early the next morning. Pl. XLVII shows the ling-an' as it is set, and also shows ta'-la as he is caught. The kok-o'-lang is also employed successfully for such birds as run on the ground, especially those which run in paths. The si-sim' is another spring snare set on the open ground. Food is scattered about leading to it, and is placed abundantly in an inclosure, the entrance to which is through the fatal noose which tightens when the bird perches on the trigger at the opening to the inclosure. When the palay is in the milk a great many birds which feed upon it are captured by means of a broom-like bundle of runo. As the birds fly over the sementeras a boy sweeps his broom, the ka-lib', through the flock, and rarely fails to knock down a bird. The ka-lib' is about 7 feet long, 2 1/2 inches in diameter at the base, and flattened and broadened to 14 or 15 inches in width at the outer end. What the ka-lib' really does for the boy is to give him an arm about 9 feet |
|


