446 Practical Game Preserving. 



years ; their appearance warrants us in saying that they will 

 serve well for another equal space of time. These 3in. have 

 zinc plates, carefully cut brass catches of very superior 

 workmanship, and well-fitted jaws and springs of good, even 

 temper. They are, however, rather too good for winged 

 vermin, being better adapted for the taking of stoats or 

 polecats. 



The stakes for the gins we advocate may be made in 

 the manner already described. It may be as well to 

 remark that the stakes must not be made, in size, com- 

 parative with that of the gin ; but that, although not quite 

 so large as would be necessary for a full-sized trap, they 

 must be sufficiently long and stout to secure the apparatus 

 firmly to the ground ; especially is this necessary, as very 

 often the setting has to be made on loose, lately ploughed 

 land, which offers at best but an unreliable hold. 



Shave not long since brought out a chainless trap, which 

 is secured by an iron stake fitted into the back piece, 

 and although we doubt its efficacy for holding rabbits (and 

 for this it is chiefly intended), we are quite convinced as to its 

 suitability for winged vermin, except only under the con- 

 ditions just mentioned above. For the ordinary catching 

 of feathered vermin it is certainly a saving of trouble in 

 the matter of chains and stakes, wherever the means by 

 which it is held secure obtain a safe hold ; the dispensing 

 with a chain, to enable the spring to be fixed beneath } 

 instead of on the top of the base of the trap, thus doing 

 away with from half to three-quarters of an inch of covering. 

 Midway along the back piece is fixed a swivel having a nut- 

 shaped head, and beneath an eye into which the iron spike 



