306 ANIMAL COMPETITORS 
by men and dogs as they come out into the 
enclosure. 
One man reports that he has made great 
catches with a wire-cage trap, which he sets 
inside of a wooden box having a hole in one 
end against which the hole in the baited cage- 
trap is fitted. The box'is then covered with 
trash and left. Sometimes several get in at 
once; especially if a single rat is left in it, 
whose squealing attracts others. 
Large cage-traps, another advises, should 
be baited and left open for _ several 
nights until the rats are accustomed to enter 
them to obtain food. They should then be 
closed and freshly baited, when a large catch 
may be expected, especially of young rats. 
Trapping is a simple way to destroy field- 
mice, but it needs to be steadily and systemat- 
ically continued to be of much service. It has 
special advantages for small areas such as 
lawns, gardens, and vegetable or nursery pits 
and packing houses, where a limited number 
of mice are present, and wherever, for any rea- 
son, there are objections to the laying out of 
poison. As voles do not readily enter cage- 
