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A mousetrap is intended to catch mice, not birds. 

 Be very careful therefore when you set it that the 

 birds cannot get in. I always use the patent German 

 affairs where the mice run up an incline and commit 

 suicide. This trap sets itself, and I have caught in 

 it a dozen mice in one night, when times were good. 

 In setting it I always put the trap behind a slanting 

 board, with the opening in the trap as near the wall as 

 possible, so that only a mouse can get in. When I 

 used to put the trap in the open, the very first victim 

 I caught was a poor little baby Chinese Painted Quail. 

 I could have cried as I took the body out. But it was 

 too late to weep. I have always been very careful 

 since. 



Poison is 7iever employed by 7ne now. I will tell 

 you why. Years ago I used to poison the mice with 

 " Batty's Vermin Killer" placed on bread and butter. 

 I was very careful, as I thought, and always pinned 

 the bread to a board and covered it well, so that birds 

 could not get to it. I was not careful enough, for 

 some mouse must have dragged away a few fragments. 

 I never noticed them, they got mixed with soil, and 

 months afterwards a splendid pair of Port lyincolns 

 found and ate them and were found dead on the floor 

 one morning. That is why I have never used poison 

 since. 



Aloe fibre is sometimes recommended Jor nestiiig 

 viaterials. I used to give it to my birds ; but one day 

 I found a poor bird hanging up by the leg, and since 

 then I have always used less dangerous material. 



Whe?i yon are giving water always fill each water 

 pot as yo7i go along. It is very easy to forget one if 

 you do not do them as they come : and an empty 

 water pot may cost you very dear. 



Never interfere with nests. Birds very strongly 

 -object to having their nests interfered with, and in 



