310 Practical Game Preserving. 



diate steps being taken either to capture the varmint or 

 oust it from the particular wood or whatever it may have 

 adopted as its place of concealment. Suffice it, however, 

 that its whereabouts having been satisfactorily determined, 

 the next step is to set traps for its discomfiture and 

 capture. 



For this purpose the gin may be used, but the common 

 vermin gin is too small, and even the 5in. rabbit gins are 

 by no means too large. As these, however, are more 

 generally obtainable than any larger sized ones, it will 

 probably be found more convenient to employ traps of 

 this kind. The actual setting of them is in no way different 

 to that prescribed for the smaller ones in a former para- 

 graph, but the choice of situation is of much importance, 

 and besides allowing of considerable diversity is not so 

 easily described, for the natural haunts of the animal are 

 mostly chosen on such rough and thickly covered ground 

 that it is difficult to determine which are the most likely 

 and, at the same time, most open spots. However, we 

 may suggest such as the foot of large boulders free of 

 overgrowth ; on any little open space amongst thick brush- 

 wood ; against a wall standing out well defined or adjacent 

 to some fallen tree or tree stump ; on the banks of streams, 

 and any others which, from the description given of the 

 haunts of the wild cat, may seem to recommend themselves 

 as suitable. For bait, the strongest lure that can be obtained 

 must be used, and, if dead game such as grouse can be 

 obtained, the better. A jagged rabbit may also be employed, 

 or a portion of a fowl or duck is by no means a bad 

 sort of bait ; in fact, something large and high, and, if 



