THE RAT 



135 



ground in the centre of an enclosure formed of a palisade or brush- 

 wood, leaving apertures for the traps; thus the bait answers for 

 three or more traps, which can be left unattended for a considerable 

 period with impunity, as the victim being killed outright, other 

 vermin are not suspicious of danger. Though the trap does not 

 require fastening down, it is possible that a fox, cat, or dog may 

 seize on the victim that has been killed instantly and carry off the 

 trap along with the animal ; it may be advisable to secure the trap 

 by a chain to a peg. 



G 



H 



FIG. 85. SNARE-SPRING AND BARREL RAT TRAPS. 



G, snare-spring trap : r, peg ; s, straight stick ; /, whipcord ; u, wire noose ; v, rod ; w, rat run ; x 

 notch ; y, hook. H, barrel trap : z, falls ; a, bait ; b, pivots ; c, lead ; d, button turned under 

 fall ; e, the same turned from under fall. /, section of top and bottom of barrel : /, water. 



Foresters, farmers, and gardeners agree with the game -preserver 

 in regarding rats as vermin, the rodents making for dwellings, barns 

 and outbuildings during the winter, and making sad havoc in out- 

 standing corn-stacks as well as in warehouses containing food suited 

 to the animal's omnivorous appetite. Few simple devices have 

 become popular for effecting the capture and speedy death of rats, 

 but some have proved effective, such as the Snare- spring Trap 

 and Barrel Trap (Fig. 85, G and H). 



