304 Practical Game Preserving. 



dotted outline in A. The lever (Fig. 20) is of wood, ^in. thick, 

 }in. wide, and long enough to reach from the staple (D, Fig. 19) 

 to the notch at the top of the trigger. Two inches from its 

 extremity is a hole (F) for it to slip on to the pin (E, Fig. 18) 

 in the stanchion, and at the other end a nail or bent wire 

 to catch the notch of the trigger. Fig. 22 is a round piece of 

 wood or iron 4in. in diameter, with four holes drilled or bored 

 in it. To this is tied the bait. Fig. 21 is the trap when set. 

 The floor and cover are hinged together by old stirrup 

 leather, or as desired. In order to set this rather complicated 

 trap, first fix the lever upon the pin of the iron stanchion, 

 raise up the cover till the end of the lever will nick under 

 the staple, press the other end down and let the catch 

 of the lever fit with the catch of the trigger. The lid 

 should now be weighted with stones ; tie on the bait and 

 simply drop it on the hole, with the lure downwards. The 

 action of the trap is now obvious, for the vermin attracted, 

 reaching to smell or endeavouring to attain the bait puts 

 its feet upon the trigger plate, which naturally causes the 

 weighted lid to fall and crush it. Some nail on to the 

 cover four narrow strips of hoop iron ; this can be done 

 if wished, its object being to prevent the vermin if only 

 slightly caught from squeezing out at the side of the trap. 

 It is advisable, of course, to colour the trap with mud, 

 or to stain the wood with tan. We have also seen that 

 a mixture of ^oz. alum, loz. burnt umber, i^oz. of lampblack, 

 dissolved in about a pint of porter, used as a paint, gives 

 it the colour of an old slate. The catches forming the 

 actual trap require a little oil now and then to prevent 

 rust and consequent jamming. This dead-fall can be 



