Ground Vermin Eggs as+Bait. 291 



a victim. Eggs may be employed in all the positions 

 named, except the last, and for economy's sake the bait 

 may sometimes be feigned. Reserve all egg shells from 

 the breakfast table, fill them with moist clay, and pin 

 into each a small peg by which to stick them up on the 

 ground, three, four, or five together ; afterwards form a 

 rough sort of nest round them and set one or more 

 traps close to the nest. Another method to employ eggs 

 is upon the sloping bank of some pond or stream. In 

 this case cut a good large sod, one with rushes growing 

 on it, and of about 2ft. by i8in. measurement, and having 

 placed it at the edge of, and projecting into, the water, 

 form at the further extremity a sort of small nest, in which 

 deposit, say, three eggs, and " till " the trap on what 

 seems the most likely part of the sod, covering it up in 

 a careful manner. 



When the capture of vermin along the sides of water 

 courses and rivers is desired, somewhat different methods 

 must be observed. Of course, conspicuousness of the 

 bait is the chief thing, and its situation where most likely 

 to be discovered the next. Such hedgerows as run down 

 nearly to the edge of the water, and then fall away in 

 height rather suddenly, may be chosen ; while any large 

 and noticeable boulder upon the bank, standing pretty 

 clear of others or upon a high and overhanging part 

 of the land, may also be decided upon for a trap. In 

 such cases it is optional to employ fish as the lure, and 

 if a rather stale unsalted haddock or two can be obtained, 

 pieces of these may be used with a fair amount of success. 

 Polecats and stoats are generally captured about water, 



