484 Practical Game Preserving. 



where they are placed. It may be most advisable, however, 

 to put one behind the rabbit's head and one at its back 

 where the flesh shows, and a third between its fore and 

 hind legs, the springs in each case lying towards the 

 right hand when setting them. Of course, the tilling 

 must be made in the usual careful manner, and a hurried 

 slovenly mode of covering avoided as ineffectual. Jays 

 have a habit of working their way up hedgerows, covered 

 on the top with a fair amount of growth, more especially 

 when these are plentifully threaded with rabbit runs, the 

 chance of discovering a young rabbit alive or dead being 

 one of the chief inducements. We may, therefore, take 

 advantage of such favourable occasions for catching these 

 handsome but wily marauders. Having determined upon 

 a suitable hedge, and found eligible spots, say two or three 

 in sixty yards, a young rabbit should be pegged down at 

 each, and two neatly-covered vermin-sized gins set one 

 on each side of the bait. If the jays be in the habit of 

 frequenting the hedge and unless they do so it is useless 

 trying one or more are sure to be captured, often more. 

 We once took five at one spot under the conditions 

 described, and could, no doubt, if we had had opportunity 

 and time to till further, have taken twice as many again. 



Jays in the open are not easily trapped. They are 

 remarkably uncertain in their habits ; one day a dozen or 

 more may be seen busily employed in a field, and appearing 

 to be permanently located, while on the next they are off 

 to a similar place at a by no means short distance away. 

 In young plantations the smaller the trees the better, 

 where the ground is divided out by paths or drives jays 



