VERMIN CATCHING, ETC. 133 



steel and iron traps], and the joints become set 

 unless they have plenty of play. 



" Another important point is that the plate or 

 puddle should work easy, because when set for 

 rabbits if it works easy enough it will catch 

 any kind of small vermin that are always on the 

 hunt. Vermin will often kill what they cannot 

 eat, merely for killing's sake. 



" I may mention it is a very bad plan for any 

 one to push the spring of rabbit-traps down with 

 their feet, it puts a much greater strain on them 

 than there would be with the hand and has a 

 tendency to strain them ; good trap-setters never 

 do it.' 7 " 



Mr. Lane is quite right here, the trap should 

 be rested on the thigh, well grasped with the 

 hand, this with the assistance of pressing your 

 thigh up greatly facilitates the proceeding, and 

 lessens the strain on your hand. I can set with 

 the greatest ease his large otter-traps in this 

 way. He continues : 



" I have had traps returned because I had no 

 holes in the plate or puddle to tie a bait on for 

 catching vermin, but good trappers never put a 

 bait on the plate, the bait is put away from the 



