146 TJie Home of the Wolverene and Beaver. 



for the time we must leave it. We shall see how it 

 acts when we again visit the trap. 



"The 'fair is down, and underneath it, crushed 

 and lifeless, is stretched a fine male marten. If 

 you observe the position the body lies in, it will 

 explain to some extent the care that was needed 

 in rightly adjusting the length of the support in 

 reference to the ' fall.' The tree has dropped upon 

 the marten immediately behind the shoulders, and 

 so caused instant death ; and here let me explain 

 how the trap acts. The marten, hunting about, 

 suddenly sniffs the dainty bait suspended from the 

 horizontal stick ; approaching the trap, and having 

 satisfied its naturally suspicious nature that there is 

 nothing very formidable in a pile of sticks and stones 

 — and from our precaution of brushing out the 

 foot-prints, it is unable to scent the presence of an 

 enemy — ventures to creep under the * fall,' and enter 

 the semi-circle of stones; then reaching up, the 

 marten seizes the bait, and struggles with all the 

 strength it can exert to pull it down ; but finding 

 this is not to be accomplished, next tries what 

 backing out and tugging the coveted morsel after 

 it will do. The stick, if you remember, was made 

 as smooth as an ebony ruler, and so the animal 

 finds the bait and loop easily trav^erses it towards 

 the entrance of the trap ; but when half the marten's 



