120 TRAPPING THE ONLY EFFECTUAL, 



long teeth these are not to be recommended, for, although 

 the teeth may counterbalance the weakness of the spring, 

 jet the vermin are apt to feel them when walking up to the 

 bait, and slink back without stepping on the plate. It is 

 also much more difficult to set them neatly. Traps whose 

 springs have been weakene.d by constant use may be reserved 

 for flying vermin. 



VERMIN TERRIER. 



I had almost forgotten to say that every gamekeeper, in all 

 his trapping and other excursions, should be accompanied by 

 an excellent vermin terrier. The use of this dog is to chal- 

 lenge vermin in earths, clefts of rocks, &c., thus making the 

 keeper aware where to plant a trap to find out fowmartes 

 in old walls or heaps of stones, where they generally conceal 

 themselves and to run those banes of the preserve, the semi- 

 wild cats into trees, where, with the assistance of his master, 

 they may easily be killed. A dog will soon become so expert 

 at this last accomplishment that few cats will be able to escape 

 him. These cats do much more mischief than real wild ones, 

 as they are impudent enough to carry their depredations into 

 the midst of the preserve, and close to the most frequented 

 places. The fowmarte, although an enemy to all game, is 

 generally more calumniated than he deserves he is not 

 nearly so injurious as the martin or cat. I have frequently 

 found his retreat when no other signs of plunder were to be 

 seen except a few frogs half- eaten. When discovered, the 

 pole-cat has no activity, and if the wall or heap of stones 



