Natural History 



369 



TRAPPING ANIMALS 



Trapping wild animals with steel traps is a wretchedly 

 cruel business and will doubtless be forbidden by law 

 before long. The old-fashioned deadfall which kills the 

 animal at once is quite sufficient for all the legitimate 

 work of a trapper. But many boys wish to capture animals 

 alive without doing them any injury, and this is easily 

 managed for most species if a ketchalive is used. The 



Wwdtjv Trif^r 



Section of 'boxir-i.f^ o>* 



Kfrtd 



iS'et) 



ketchalive or old-fashioned box trap is made in a hundred 

 different ways; but the main principles are shown in the 

 illustration. The lock on the side is necessary for some 

 species, such as skunks, that would easily lift the Hd and 

 escape. 



For skunks, cats, weasels, mink, rats, etc., use a piece 

 of chicken as bait. 



For rabbits use bread, turnip, apple, or other vegetable. 



The trap should be visited every morning or not used 

 at all. 



THE SECRETS OF THE TRAIL 



It was Fenimore Cooper who first put the good Indian 

 on paper — who called the attention of the world to the 

 wonderful woodcraft of these most wonderful savages. 



