Quadrupeds, 7781 



already described: — 1, by wooden traps; 2, by gin or steel traps; 

 3, by set guns; 4, by snaring ; 5, by hook and line ; 6, by hunting ; 

 7, by unearthing; 8, by ice trap; and 9, by poison. Nos. 1, 2, 3 

 and 7 have been already noticed, 1 shall therefore commence with 



4. By snaring: — This is not a very efficacious method, and is 

 used only by natives who have not steel traps or gins. An enclosure 

 of twigs is made and the bait laid in the centre, and a snare set in the 

 entrance, with a road fenced in like manner leading to it. The prin- 

 ciple of construction is the same as in lynx snaring, and alike in every 

 respect, excepting that the enclosure is larger. Foxes are sometimes 

 found hung in snares set for rabbits. 



5. By hook and line : — This cannot be exactly considered a legiti- 

 mate method of entrapping foxes, though 1 have seen one killed by it. 

 An Indian at our establishment was visiting and arranging his lines 

 for catching loche {Gadus lota), when he observed a fox at a short 

 distance from him regarding his operations ; he immediately flung the 

 baited hook towards it, and concealed himself behind a block of ice. 

 Reynard approached, smelt rather suspiciously at the bait, and at 

 length swallowed it, whereupon the Indian, without giving the animal 

 time to cut the line, hauled in and killed it. 



6. By hunting : — This method is practised in the fall, before there 

 is enough snow to set the traps. The hunter conceals himself close 

 to the fox's hole, and shoots him as he passes to it. 



8. By ice traps : — This is a tolerably successful way, more so than 

 by wooden traps. A block of ice of considerable weight is tilted on 

 end, at an angle of about 45°, a piece of stick supports this, placed 

 well under the block, the lower end resting on the bait. The animal, 

 in his efforts to obtain the bait, drags the stick off the perpendicular, 

 when the ice falls on him and kills him. This method is much used 

 by the Yellow Knives to trap white foxes. 



9. By poison : — For this purpose strychnia is used. I have tried 

 aconitine, atropine and corrosive sublimate without success : the two 

 former may not have been pure enough, though I obtained them from 

 the first chemical works in England, and at a very high price. The only 

 poison that I have found strong enough is strychnia. One or two grains 

 of this are mixed with a little tallow, forming a small ball, and covered 

 with a coating of grease outside to prevent the animal from tasting it. 

 A quantity of pounded dried meat and morsels are strewn about, so that 

 the animal after swallowing the poison may be detained a sufficient 

 time for it to operate. The distances which animals go before they 

 die vary greatly; in some instances they fall directly, in others they 



