118 TKAPPING THE ONLY EFFECTUAL 



cial or formed of twigs stuck in the ground, but any bushes 

 of furze, heather, or rushes, must be taken advantage of for 

 the purpose. Half of the young ones must be tied in the 

 one, and half in the other. They must have very short 

 tethers, or they will waddle into the trap. If this is well 

 executed, you are sure of both old ones next day. 



Buzzards and kites are easily trapped in autumn or winter, 

 as they readily take a bait. It is not worth while to take 

 much trouble about them, as they do little mischief to game, 

 unless a young bird that cannot fly, or small leveret, happen 

 to stumble in their way. I am loath to bring an accusation 

 against my great favourite the ivy-owl, but truth compels me 

 to say that he is nearly as injurious to game as the buzzard, 

 quite as much so as the kite. The other owls, viz. the white 

 and the long and short-eared, may be considered harmless. 



Carrion-crows and ravens, or " corbies,'' take them for all 

 in all, are perhaps as mischievous as hawks. The best sea- 

 son for trapping them is in March and April ; the circle of 

 twigs to be set in conspicuous places ; the same bait as for 

 foxes, martins, &c., will do, but the best is a dead lamb, from 

 being so readily seen and at that season it may be very 

 easily procured. The numbers taken in this way are aston- 

 ishing. When they become cunning, take down the twigs 

 and plant half-a-dozen traps round the lamb. 



Magpies, jays, &c., all take a bait ; but the grand recipe 

 thoroughly to destroy them, is to find the nests and set the 

 young in circles. 



There are many other ways of killing all these vermin 

 which I have not thought it worth while to mention, as they 



