lOO NATURAL IIISToRV OF Till-: FARM 



pains of countless generations; and when once sw^-pt away 

 it can never be recovered. 



By the care of our flocks we lia\e become more s\-mpathelic 

 towards tame animals. By taking thought for the welfare 

 of the remnant of our wild animals, we shall become more 

 S}inpalhelic toward them, more a])])reciative of their fine 

 powers and their esthetic walues. \\^e shall become more 

 civilized; for, as the late Professor Shaler assured us, "The 

 sense of duty which master\' of the earth gives, is to be one 

 of the moral gifts of modern learning." 



Study 13. The Wild Mammals of the Farm 

 Tliis study includes a little trapping expedition, and some 

 examination of ca])turcd wild animals and obser\'ations of 

 their haunts and habits. The tools needed will be pocket 

 knives, an individual su]:)ply of small mouse traps and bait 

 (rolled oats will do for bait) , and some cord and fine wire for 

 snares. Since members of the class will be able to cai:>ture 

 only a few of the over-abundant little rodents, others should 

 be available in captivity. Woodchucks, chij^munks, etc., 

 may be kept buried in a box in hibernation, if obtained in 

 auttmm. Raccoons, opossums, etc., may be purchased from 

 dealers. They may often be borrowed from ])ersons in the 

 neighborhood who keep them as pets. 

 The program of work will consist of : 



I. A trip along some meadow fence-row and al>out the 

 grassy borders of a wood, taking up a line of trai)s (that should 

 have been set the day before and marked as to location), 

 removing the catch and again baiting them. The\' should be 

 set in the runwa\'S of meadc )W inice, wood mice, shrews, moles, 

 etc. Little "Zip" traps, or others of the guillotine t\'pe, are 

 lightest and chca])est (three cents or less apiece in quantities), 

 and are quite eflicient. They are baited by S])rinkling some 

 flakes of oats about the trigger. They are best covered by a 



