274 Practical Game Preserving. 



spring, that is rounded on all sides so as to give the jaws 

 a full and easy play. These latter are always rounded on 

 the outside, and are toothed in the now usually adopted 

 manner, the sides being fitted so as to have about an 

 eighth of an inch space between the teeth when the 

 trap is " drawn " or sprung. It is important to give 

 special attention to the spring and jaws of each trap, 

 and to be sure that the force of the spring is not 

 sufficient to cause the legs of a weasel or stoat to be 

 cut right through, owing to the jaws being, perhaps, too 

 closely fitted for the strength of the spring. 



The catch of vermin traps requires, as a matter of 

 course, to be rather tender, aad should, consequently, be 

 very carefully made and fitted very neatly, so that the 

 step of such a light little animal as the weasel may dis- 

 charge it as certainly as that of a rabbit. The gins 

 which best fulfil the requirements enumerated are those 

 manufactured at the Dorset works, Birmingham, by W. Shave, 

 whose 3in. weasel and stoat trap is certainly as useful and 

 excellent vermin trap as is made. He makes also a 

 smaller one still, with only 2^in. jaws, but we prefer the 

 former size for general utility. H. Lane, of Wednesfield, 

 is the manufacturer of a 3in. trap, quite equal to the 

 Dorset one. W. Bellamy, of Wolverhampton, is the maker 

 of some not quite so highly finished, nor so well tempered, 

 but which, at the low price he charges, are wonderfully 

 good. 



For the purpose of preventing the animal, when caught, 

 from hobbling away with the trap, each one is provided 

 with a suitably sized chain, consisting of about eight links, 



