70 NOXIOUS VERMIN. 



against. Unfortunately, too. we cannot get 

 rid of them by poison without the hazard 

 of destroying our poultry also. London, in 

 his Encyclopedia of Agriculture, has fur- 

 nished the description of a very complete, 

 but, at the same time, a rather complex ap- 

 paratus, which may be worthy of trial. 



It consists of a long square box, closed at 

 one end. Against the other is heaped a 

 quantity of brushwood, sufficiently open to 

 permit rats to enter. At the closed end is 

 placed a quantity of grain, and this end is 

 also rubbed with anise, rhodium, pepper- 

 mint, or any other odoriferous oil. In this 

 state it must remain for several days, fre- 

 quently renewing the bait, until their habit- 



Fl - 5 - ^ ual passage along this box 



L^. " has been firmly establish- 



ed. On the bottom of this box there is a 

 trap-door, as seen in figure 5, which has 

 hitherto been fastened by a pin. This trap, 

 which may be made of tin towards the tip, 

 is balanced by a weight, which, when the 

 rat has fallen through, restores it to its for- 

 mer position. The rat falls into an empty 



