WAY TO DESTROY VERMIN. 117 



baits, drag it along the ground where he last saw the weasel, 

 and hang it on a twig with his rat-trap under, as before de- 

 scribed : if he does not let too long time elapse, it is sure to 

 be taken. No traps should be set for running vermin during 

 the warm weather, as the bait so soon taints nor in hard 

 frost, as the traps are then apt not to spring, or to hold the 

 vermin so slightly that they escape. 



WINGED VERMIN. 



The hawk tribe, seldom or never taking a bait, are the 

 most difficult to be trapped of all winged vermin. The only 

 plan with any chance of success (except at the breeding time) 

 is to place a trap on the top of a wall, or bare stump of a 

 tree, throwing a dead cat or other carrion at the foot ; the 

 hawks will often alight, to look down at it, and thus be 

 caught. A hawk, however, will always return to any bird 

 he has killed, even should scarcely any thing be left but the 

 bones. In such a case, immediately procure a trap, hang 

 the bird directly above, and close to it, or the hawk may 

 reach over and take it down without touching the trap. 



But when they hatch is the time thoroughly to thin 

 them. The nests should be most carefully searched out, and 

 not disturbed until the young are more than half fledged. 

 Many shoot the old hen flying off her eggs, but this is not 

 the way to extirpate the race, as the males of course escape. 

 When the young are pretty strong, and able to call loudly 

 from hunger, take them put of the nest, and make two circles 

 out of sight of each other. These circles must not be artifi- 



