NELSON] TRAPS AND SNARES 123 



a model made by an Eskimo living- at the head of Norton sound, shows 

 the parts and illustrates the working of this ingenious contrivance: 



1 1 is a cylinder of wood, that material or bone ordinarily being used 

 for these traps; 2 2 are crosspieces of wood or bone, bound together 

 by strong sinew, cords; 3 is an ivory or bone block; 4 is an ivory or 

 bone pin, fitting into 3, and is attached to a cord passing through a 

 hole in the cylinder to the bait at 10; 5 is a slot cut through the side 

 of the cylinder; 6 is a stout lever of bone with a knob at its inner end, 

 which is inserted through the cords connecting 2 2; 8 is a pointed 

 spike of bone or ivory (a nail is sometimes used on St Lawrence island) ; 

 7 is a peg projecting from the side of the lever. 2 2 are twisted in 

 opposite directions until the twisting of the connecting cords, which 

 pass around them and through the cylinder, causes a strong tension, 

 thus holding the crosspieces so firmly against the ends of the cylinders 

 that they can not slip back. This also draws the cord so taut in the 

 cylinder that when the lever, 6, is drawn back to lie parallel with 9, a 

 great resistance is encountered, acting like a spring to throw it back 

 to its first position. The lever, G, is held in position next to 9 by pass 

 ing 4 over 7 and into 3. The bait is tied to the end of a cord attached 

 to 4 at 10, so that it lies just within 8. The trap is then fastened firmly 

 to the ground and concealed with earth, but care is taken to insure the 

 free working of the lever. The bait is then exposed in line with the 

 lever and when a slight pull is given, the pin, 4, is freed and the lever 

 springs sharply over, burying the spike set in its end in the skull of the 

 animal. 



These traps work very nicely and strike a heavy blow. They are 

 ordinarily made for killing foxes and wolves, but I was told that 

 formerly they were sometimes used for bears. 



Figure 13, plate LI, illustrates a cylinder for one of these traps from 

 St Lawrence island. It is 12 inches long and 5 inches in diameter, and 

 is made from a piece of the jawbone of a whale. It is capped at each 

 end by a ring of bone held in position by four iron nails. A deep notch 

 is cut in the middle of one side of the cylinder, at one end of which is 

 a slot and at the other a round hole through the side. 



Figure 11, plate LI, from the same island, is a lever made of bone, 

 forked, and armed at the outer end with iron spikes. The inner end 

 terminates in a rim of bone. This is the striking arm of one of these 

 traps. It has a notch 011 one side for receiving the trigger. With this 

 arm is a bone ring (plate LI, 15), pierced with four holes, intended for a 

 cap, at one end of the cylinder. 



Figure 12, plate LI, from the same island, represents another striking 

 arm for a trap, with three iron spikes set in it. 



For trapping beavers in their houses square nets, 4 or 5 feet across, 

 with meshes large enough for the beaver s head to pass through, are 

 fastened over the entrance to the animal s house below the surface of 

 the water, so that in going out or in the animal will become entangled 

 and drown. These nets are sometimes used in the same way for otters. 



