CONSTRUCTION OF A TRAP. 51 



enclosure — which is just long enough to admit about two- 

 thirds of the animal's body, and too narrow to allow of its 

 fairly entering in and turning round — a short log is laid. 

 Next he cuts down a tree of considerable size, strips it of 

 its branches, and lays it so that it may rest upon the log 

 at the entrance in a parallel direction. The bait, which is 

 generally a piece of tough, dried meat, or a piece of a 

 partridge or squirrel, is placed on the point of a short 

 stick. This is projected horizontally into the enclosure; 

 and on the outer end of it rests another short stick, placed 

 perpendicularly, and supporting the large tree laid across 

 the entrance. Finally, the top of the trap is covered in 

 with bark and branches, so that no other means of access to 

 the bait remains than the opening between the propped-up 

 tree and the log beneath. When the bait is seized, the 

 tree falls down upon the thief, and crushes him to death. 



The labour required for such a construction would seem 

 to be considerable; but we are told that a skilful trapper 

 will build up forty or fifty traps in a single day. The 

 steel traps resemble the ordinary rat-trap, except that the 

 springs are double, and that it has no teeth. To imprison 

 such animals as the fox, the wolf, or the beaver, it is 

 necessary they should be very powerful, so that it requires 

 all the strength and energy of a strong man to set them. 

 They are carefully concealed in the snow; fragments of 

 meat are scattered all around, and the place smoothed 

 down so as to leave no trace that can awaken the wary 

 animal's suspicion. A chain is attached to the trap, and 

 to the chain a ring, through which a stout stake is passed. 

 When an animal is caught — generally by the leg, as he 



