408 THE GAME PKESERVER's GUIDE. 



weasel, &c., or else in others purposely made, concealing the 

 entrances by placing small branches of thorn, privet, &c., round 

 the box, and leading the animals up to it by gradually 

 narrowing the distance between them. A dead rabbit may 

 be dragged for some distance along the ground up to the end 

 of the trap, and then leaving a little of its blood on the 

 ground and sprinkling more just inside the box, the rabbit 

 may be removed, unless a part is used for the bait ; but if a 

 weasel is to be taken, barely an ounce of the flesh or of the 

 liver should be placed on each side the plate of the trap, or 

 the animal's hunger will be sufficiently satisfied to make it 

 suspicious, and the fatal drop will not be passed. 



The figure of 4 trap is composed of a large square piece of 

 stone or slate, propped up in a peculiar manner with three 

 pieces of wood, which are arranged in the shape of a 4. In 

 examining this figure it will be seen to consist of a perpen- 

 dicular limb or " upright," of a horizontal one or " stretcher," 

 and of a short " slanting stick," as the third is called. The 

 upright is usually cut about half an inch wide, shaved to a 

 thin edge at top, but " High Elms" recommends it to have 

 a forked foot to keep it from twisting, and a notch in it to 

 prevent the stretcher slipping down. The slanting stick has 

 a notch cut in it half an inch from its upper end, to receive 

 the top of the upright, while its lower end is shaved off to 

 fit into a notch in the upper surface of the front of the 

 stretcher. Lastly, the stretcher has this notch in front and 

 another notch cut in its side, by which it is caught by the 

 upright and held in its place. A bait being tied to the ex- 

 ternal end of the stretcher, and a stone placed so that it will 

 lie flat on the ground, the whole is ready for setting, which 

 is effected as follows : Raise the stone and support it by the 

 notched end of the slanting stick held in the left hand, the 

 notch itself looking downwards, then place the upright with 

 one end on the ground and the other in this notch, and let 

 it carry the weight of the stone, which will have a tendency 

 to tilt up the " slanting stick," still held down by the left 

 hand; finally, hitch the middle notch of the "stretcher" in 

 the " upright," with its front notch facing upwards, then 

 bring the lower end of the " slanting stick" down to this 

 front notch, drop it in, and the trap is set. Of course it 



