Winged Vermin Taking Crows and Rooks. 455 



of gins say a dozen must be set about ; the placing should 

 be as indiscriminate as possible and all equidistant one 

 from another ; they should be rabbit size, provided with 

 stakes ; they must be let in and covered in the usual way, 

 the setting being " tickle" but not too much so, and as 

 the covering of each one is finished, a few grains, but not too 

 many, should be placed on the plate, in order to induce 

 the vermin to peck upon this and get caught by the head. 

 We have occasionally seen more than one " 'lighting" spot 

 chosen by the birds, especially when the aggressors were both 

 rooks and crows. Under such circumstances, both clearings 

 must be provided as efficiently as possible. If the scene 

 be a ploughed field, and unsown, choose a prominent part 

 and commence by smoothing over a small area, about four 

 to six feet square. This effected, obtain some bait a piece 

 of rabbit, a dead duckling, &c. the better if a little "high; " 

 if not, use some rabbit paunch in addition, to produce the 

 necessary aroma, strong and tempting. The bait should 

 be pegged down, and an irregular cordon of neatly " sot " 

 gins be put in happily-chosen position round. Another good 

 indeed, we might well say unequalled mode of capture is a 

 sheep's head, laid on its side, with the usual adornment of traps. 

 There is no need to peg it down half-a-dozen crows could 

 not fly away with it. A dead lamb is another excellent lure, 

 only wait till the lamb is decidedly high, otherwise a sheep- 

 dog may find it not unacceptable to its by no means 

 fastidious appetite, and, whilst satisfying its hunger, get 

 caught in the gins. 



The catching of crows in pasture fields and the like is 

 rather uncertain, as far as results go, for it is obviously 



GG2 



