THE RAT . 1 33 



the worst of vermin in a stream. On the other hand, an otter in a 

 strictly preserved stream, and this closely fished, is intolerable ; 

 though, if the fisherman be an all-round sportsman, the otter will 

 be allowed some presence for hunting in its proper season. The 

 otter-hunter insists that the food of his quarry consists mainly of 

 freshwater cray-fish, and of eels deadly enemies to trout streams 

 or salmon rivers. The otter's virtues, however, are mostly re- 

 garded as ending upon the river-bank, and as for visiting farm- 

 yards and destroying poultry, and even young lambs, there are 

 no authenticated records. 



The otter may be trapped by a strong single or double spring 

 otter trap, with either plain teeth, or both teeth and spiked 

 jaws (Fig. 83), and with 6 in. or 8 in. jaws. The trap may be 

 set in a track of the animal through a bed of rushes or osiers. The 

 trap must be well covered up and the chain well secured by the peg. 

 Some trappers recommend the trap to be placed close to the edge 

 of deep water, and the chain not fastened to a fixed object, but to 

 a piece of lead of such weight that the otter, when frightened by 

 the snap of the trap, instinctively diving under water, can drag 

 it over the edge and thus drown the animal without risk of it wrench- 

 ing or biting its foot free from the trap. A long line is tied to the 

 trap in order to recover the drowned otter along with the imple- 

 ment of destruction. 



RAT. To the game -preserver the brown rat is very trouble- 

 some. It destroys the young birds and the eggs of both phea- 

 sants and partridges, and also consumes quantities of grain food. 

 Wary and cunning, rats generally are suspicious of a baited trap, 

 and open trapping is carried on under difficulties. Found most 

 frequently in woods and hedgerows during the summer, they should 

 be extirpated there by ferreting. Good working ferret must be 

 used, not too large, and some smart terriers. The holes must be 

 worked regularly and systematically. Of course, rats in woods 

 and hedgerows may be poisoned, but this way of destroying them 

 is too dangerous to be employed in coverts and rearing grounds. 

 There are other ways of clearing woods and hedgerows of these 

 pests, i. Placing some oatmeal or barley-meal in small heaps in 

 the places frequented by rats, and this every night until they are 

 found to eat it freely. When it is found that they consume all 

 that is placed for them, get some perfectly fresh plaster of Paris ; 

 mix it in a quite dry state in equal proportions with the meal ; 

 this mixture should then be substituted for the meal in small heaps 

 as before. If carefully done rats and mice will eat it freely ; the 

 plaster sets in the stomach and invariably kills them quickly. The 

 great advantage of this method is that should foxes, cats, or dogs 

 afterwards eat the rats, no harm will happen to them. 2. " Ratin," 

 a preparation for exterminating rats and mice, and harmless to 

 larger creatures. It causes among rats an epidemic of a particu- 



