CH. VII.] Rabbit Catching. 115 



sides more turned in, and with a handle ten 

 feet long, with a steel hook at the end in- 

 stead of a spike. With this spade we can 

 sink down many feet after the hole is too 

 deep for the ordinary spade, and the turned 

 in sides will hold the soft earth and allow 

 you to bring it to the surface. If you dig 

 down on the top of a rabbit — as you will do 

 when you know your work — the hook at the 

 end will enable you to draw first it and then 

 the ferret up by the string. We must have 

 a piece of strong light supple cord, marked 

 by a piece of red cloth drawn through the 

 strands at every yard, so that one can tell 

 exactly how far in the ferret is ; and it is as 

 well to have a second shorter cord for work 

 in stiff heavy ground, where the holes are 

 never deep. Next, we must have two or 

 three dozen purse-nets, which are circular, 

 about two feet in diameter, with a string rove 

 round the outside mesh fastened to a peg. 



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