THE GOLDFISH AND ITS CULTURE. 97 



These birds, although not so easily shot as the crane or heron, 

 may readily be caught in a trap, if the latter is somewhat concealed 

 and laid on the post or outlet pipe, which the birds mostly frequent. 



; TURTLES AND ALLIGATORS. 



These reptiles are both extremely destructive; the latter, of 

 course, not being found in the Northern States, need not be looked 

 for in that locality. Neither of them, no matter how small, should 

 be permitted to remain in or near the ponds. 



THE MUSKRAT. 



Not only do these animals destroy the dams of the ponds, but 

 they will also destroy the entire stock of fish, if not stopped in time. 

 Luckily for the fish-culturist, they are easily mastered. One or two 

 muskrat traps of the old-fashioned style (Hawley & Norton's No. i), 

 used by professional trappers in the Far West, can be procured at 

 almost any hardware store for thirty cents apiece, the chain included. 

 The muskrat holes are looked for and will be found leading into the 

 bank and a little below the surface of the water. At a short distance 

 from such a hole (the length of the chain on the trap), a peg is 

 driven securely into the ground, and the free end of the chain 

 fastened to it. The trap is then set without bait, and laid a little to 

 one side immediately into the hole, in such a manner that the animal 

 in going in or out is obliged to tread upon the plate that springs 

 the trap and over one or the other end, thus it is always caught by 

 one of its legs. 



If the trap is placed at right angles with the hole, so that the 

 animal has to walk over the bows, these latter, in coming together, 

 will throw the rat upwards, and fail to catch it. 



It is advisable also to catch the muskrats in the surrounding 



