Ground Vermin Gins for Foxes. 361 



one at all suitable. It is advisable to obtain the gins of 

 the best manufacture, and of larger size than the usually 

 employed rabbit trap, 5in. breadth in the jaws being the 

 most suitable ; if they be larger they become clumsy 

 and difficult of effectual concealment. Due attention must 

 be paid to certain points in each trap, which require 

 more notice than others ; thus, the spring must be strong, 

 but flexible, having, if we may use the term, more bound 

 in it than what may be termed snap. The jaws must be 

 thick, and strongly but loosely fitted to the frame. They 

 should not come too close together, and Jin. is by no 

 means too much play. Every attention must be given to 

 the catch, to see that it works in a proper manner and 

 does not offer any resistance to the flying up of the jaws, 

 that is to say, one must be certain that considerable force 

 is required to hold the flap over the jaw in order to fit 

 the catch when the gin is in the act of being set. 



The chains require more than ordinary consideration, 

 and a close scrutiny of each one should be made, with 

 the view of discovering any defects that may exist. As 

 trapping animals is beset in itself with a certain amount 

 of cruelty, such care as may be necessary to lessen the 

 pain caused is well expended, while carelessness in the 

 direction named is quite unpardonable. We once saw a 

 fox which, after having dragged about a trap for nearly a 

 week, had lain down to die of starvation and disease, 

 virulent mange having followed the loss of food and 

 exercise to which it had been subjected. It will thus be 

 obvious that too much caution in choosing the chains 

 and subsequently fixing the stakes cannot be observed. 



