Ground Vermin Gins for Foxes. 363 



must, in order to obtain the strongest and best of their 

 sort, be formed on the same plan, namely, of well seasoned 

 and, consequently tough, ash, with the exception that the 

 pieces must average trom eighteen inches to two feet in 

 extreme length before they are pared off and sharpened. 

 Some soils of a soft and yielding nature will not offer 

 much hold for the stake, and, in such cases, the full length 

 of two feet should be adopted, whilst other ground of a 

 clayey nature will retain a much shorter stick. 



The ring must be driven down to within about three 

 inches of the end of the wood, and in order to strengthen 

 the part which is continually being hammered on, and 

 tends to split, it is advisable to bind on three or four 

 strands of wire about an inch above the ring. This pre- 

 vents, in addition, the chain from becoming loose in the 

 event of the wood being partially broken or split. The 

 stake need not be smoothed when being sharpened off, 

 and should offer a three or four cornered outside to the 

 soil. Of course, no large number of gins need be provided, 

 and for all purposes twelve traps at the outside will not 

 only be found quite sufficient, but more than these if 

 employed at once would probably militate against the 

 very result which we desire, for from the nature of the 

 fox, the existence of a multiplicity of different kinds of 

 baits, all temptingly displayed at various intervals, would 

 certainly appear to indicate that " something was up," 

 and Reynard, otherwise confiding, would be alarmed, 

 and seek the security offered by his earth. The catching 

 of any sort of vermin is at no time an eminently easy 

 matter, and although, in the case of the mustelidae, &c., 



