Winged Vermin Taking Crows and Rooks. 449 



Among the usual lures, there is none which may be set 

 down as specially suited to the bird just mentioned, as it 

 is certain that they are almost equally suited to the various 

 other feathered depredators; as far as the haunts go, how- 

 ever, one may, after careful notice, be able to determine 

 the particular places most likely to be associated with the 

 capture of a crow. The most efficacious baits for these 

 vermin are eggs (or rather egg-shells), rabbits, a dead 

 duckling, chicken, portions of a sheep's or lamb's carcase 

 for preference the head and any high-smelling offal at all 

 resembling the popular idea of carrion. Egg-shells, rather 

 than eggs, should be employed for baiting traps for the 

 present purpose, because, besides being equally efficacious 

 as the entire article, there is no advantage in wasting 

 good things on a thievishly-natured bird. The shells may 

 be used either in their simple state, or may be filled to 

 make them last longer ; this may be either with plaster 

 of Paris, or in the mode we described before, namely, 

 with soft clay, and this being effected, a pointed stick 

 should be stuck into each, leaving about two inches outside, 

 by means of which to fix the bait in the ground. When 

 using rabbits, it is advisable to divide them up into two 

 or three portions, the best and most enticing baits being 

 made by (first having removed the animal's paunch) cutting 

 or probably chopping the rabbit across the side into two 

 pieces, then cut off the underneath skin, finally, partially 

 split the carcase in two by cutting between the legs and 

 bending them apart. This arrangement produces two pieces, 

 showing plenty of red flesh, of a delightfully enticing 

 nature as far as crows are concerned. The mode in 



