THE GOLDFISH AND ITS CULTURE. 95 
only exposed, all the while playing the tongue in the water. This 
they do to allure their prey within reach, the fish mistaking it for a 
worm rush to their certain destruction. 
The best means of exterminating them is by the use of some kind 
of fire-arm. A smooth bore, 22 caliber Flobert gun, loaded with a 
cartridge containing shot, and a good marksman at the proper end of 
it, generally makes a combination that forever prevents that snake 
from exercising his fishing propensities. 
If young snakes are about, they may easily be discovered by placing 
pieces of board here and there about the ponds; these boards are 
lifted up in the morning, often revealing two or three of the little 
snakes that had sought shelter there, when thus found they are easily 
despatched. 
A good snake trap was accidentally discovered as follows: 
A wire coop made of ¥% inch mesh galvanized iron wire netting, 
served as the dwelling of a couple of muskrats, which the children 
kept as pets. These having died, the coop was used to confine live 
frogs, and kept outside of the establishment in the water, just at the 
point it leaves the ponds. 
The next morning a large water snake was found caught in the 
meshes of the wire, and dead. 
It had evidently tried to get into the coop, and help itself to a frog 
or two, and was thus caught, the wire preventing the entrance of the 
entire body, the scales of the reptile at the same time precluding 
the possibility of retreat. Since then this trap, and smaller ones, 
have been used with very good results, and being simple they are 
easily made. 
Following the snakes, and at the time the ponds are filled with 
water, one must be on the watch for fish-eating birds, among which 
are 
