304 ANIMAL COMPETITORS 



be baited with small pieces of German sausage 

 (Wienerwurst) or fried bacon. A small sec- 

 tion of an ear of corn is an excellent bait if 

 other grain is not present. The trigger wire 

 should be bent inward to bring the bait into 

 proper position to permit the fall to strike the 

 rat across the neck. 



Other excellent baits for rats are oatmeal, 

 toasted cheese, toasted bread (buttered), fish, 

 fish offal, fresh liver, raw meat, pine nuts, 

 apples, carrots, corn, and sunflower, squash, 

 or pumpkin seeds. Broken fresh eggs are 

 good bait at all seasons, and ripe tomatoes, 

 green cucumbers, and other fresh vegetables 

 are very tempting to the animals in winter. 

 When seed, grain, or meal is used with a guil- 

 lotine trap, it is placed on the trigger plate, 

 or the trigger wire may be bent outward and 

 the bait sprinkled under it. 



The old-fashioned barrel-trap may often be 

 used to advantage. For several nights rats 

 are tolled to food placed on the tops of barrels, 

 or a barrel, covered with stiff brown paper 

 tied over the top so as to not be displaced or 

 break under their weight. Then two cross- 



