Ground Vermin Baits and Drags. 281 



employed it, it has rarely proved itself very tempting. The 

 half putrid remains of birds and rabbits, and any offal 

 which may be obtainable somewhat resembling these, such 

 as the torn-up remnants of a dead fowl or duck, are to be 

 preferred. Besides the employment of a bait exactly at 

 the trap, steps are to be taken to entice the vermin towards 

 it, chiefly by means of drags or false trails, drawn out in 

 radiating lines, so that any stoat or polecat at a distance 

 of, say, ten or twelve yards, coming upon one, follows it up 

 and is thus lured to the gin. Two modes of forming these 

 drags are very effective. For the first a sheep's liver and 

 lights should be obtained and chopped up very small, care 

 being taken not to lose any blood. Mix with this a small 

 quantity of oil of aniseed, and place it in some vessel in 

 the sun until it smells " nice and high." This desirable 

 result obtained, make a small bag of open-meshed canvas, 

 and place the drag in it ; having tied this up, draw it after 

 you while the traps are being set. 



A second method is to obtain a good quantity of dried 

 or even fresh sprats, the former being preferable ; pound 

 them up in a mortar, and having placed them in well corked 

 pickle-bottles, hang them up where they will be exposed to 

 the sun for some ten days until they are thoroughly decom- 

 posed. The oil contained in the fish is thus obtained and 

 has a particularly pungent odour. This oil should be rubbed 

 on some cloth or flannel, a bunch of saturated material being 

 dragged about similarly to the one first named. Some 

 essence of musk or oil of aniseed added is perhaps an im- 

 provement. 



When employing the steel trap, it will be necessary, as 



