CONTROL OF VERMIN 107 



is constructed as follows : Four rather narrow boards about 

 a yard long are nailed together to make a narrow conduit or 

 passage. A board on a pivot, like a teeter, is balanced in the 

 middle and is set with the end resting down at the front 

 entrance of the trap, making an inclined walk uphill. Un- 

 der the near end is a short piece of strong wire, loosely hung, 

 and lying flat when the board is down. This trap is set in 

 the tunnel under the brush heap or in the weasel runway, 

 with a slight fence or obstruction built off on each side. 

 The weasel runs in up the board, which tilts down when it 

 crosses the middle, raising the front end of the balanced 

 board up to the top of the passage, closing the entrance. 

 The recumbent wire hangs down and keeps the board from 

 going back. There is wire mesh across the farther end, and 

 the weasel is shut in. On the above estate they caught with 

 this device large numbers of weasels. 



Hole-in-fence Trap. An excellent adaptation of the 

 principle of this weasel trap was suggested to me by Ludwig 

 Seidler, who also introduced the above trap from Germany. 

 The idea is to cut a hole in the wire fence of the pen or rear- 

 ing-field leading into a wire chamber. This trap, or one of 

 larger size, is placed at the entrance to this chamber. Of 

 course some other box-trap arrangement could be used in- 

 stead. A fox following the wire and seeing a box trap set 

 beside the fence is apt to go around it. If Reynard, however, 

 sees a hole in the fence, he joyfully enters and gets caught. 

 This device is said to be very effective with all sorts of four- 

 legged vermin. 



Stone-pile Trap. Mr. Seidler has furnished also the 

 description of another trap in use on German preserves, said 

 to be especially effective for weasels, rats, and small vermin. 

 Along hedges, in corners of the preserve, or in woods, are the 

 places to locate it. Select a slight elevation, or make one, 



