VERMIN 115 



his mouth, the brilliant yellow hues of which excited 

 my curiosity. Giving chase, he soon dropped theobject, 

 and on picking it up, it turned out to be a frog which 

 he had killed. This is the only occasion I have known 

 a weasel to kill a frog. 



Most keepers who have had experience in rearing 

 pheasants are aware of the bloodthirsty habits of the 

 weasel should it find its way into the rearing-field. As an 

 invariable rule, however, precautionary measures should 

 be adopted by having traps set in every likely spot 

 around the rearing-field. Care must be taken when the 

 pheasant chicks extend their rambles that small conduits 

 are made with stones, in which the traps should be placed, 

 in order to secure immunity from the danger of the 

 birds getting into them. Weasels are easily trapped, 

 and nothing keeps them down better than rabbit- 

 trapping, they being frequently caught in running in 

 and out of rabbit-holes. Where stoats and weasels 

 abound, it is most desirable to have a few flat stones 

 or flags in suitable places, propped up by pieces of stick 

 set with the old figure-of-four trap. The slightest dis- 

 turbance fetches the flag down, and the victim is at 

 once crushed to death. 



The hedgehog is another species of vermin destruc- 

 tive to game. Its depredations are chiefly confined to 

 nest-harrying. The amount of mischief done in a game- 

 preserve by hedgehogs is great. Again and again I 

 have trapped them, using eggs as a bait, and have seen 

 one in a pheasant's nest devouring the eggs. This was 



