298 ANIMAL COMPETITORS 



placed in the underground tunnels. For other 

 mice pieces of drain tile may be laid along the 

 trails, and the baits inserted into the tiles with 

 a long knife or spoon ; old tin cans with flattened 

 ends or small openings are excellent substitutes 

 for tiles. One trick of wolf-poisoners in Col- 

 orado, was to make their strychnine pellets 

 chiefly of lard so that if not eaten at night 

 they would melt and soak into the ground, out 

 of danger, in the next day's warm sun. 



Winter is the most favorable season for poi- 

 soning field-mice, and the best time to set the 

 poison is in the evening of a mild day. At that 

 season cut small twigs or suckers from apple- 

 trees, and either dip them in the strychnine 

 sirup or apply the sirup to them with a brush. 

 Scatter the poisoned twigs near the trees to be 

 protected. This plan is excellent for either 

 field-mice or rabbits, and it entirely obviates the 

 danger of poisoning birds or domestic animals. 



Poisoning rabbits. Winter has proved to be 

 the best time for poisoning rabbits, especially 

 the western jack-rabbits, since there is no green 

 food to attract them from the prepared 

 titbits. Pieces of apple, carrot, sweet potato, 



