THE GOLDFISH AND ITS CULTURE, 127 
These birds, although not so easily shot as the crane or 
heron, may readily be caught in a trap, if the latter is some- 
what concealed and laid on the post or outlet pipe, which the 
birds mostly frequent. 
TURTLES AND ALLIGATORS. 
These reptiles are both extremely destructive ; the latter, of 
course, not being found in the Northern States, need not be 
looked for in that locality. Neither of them, no matter how 
small, should be permitted to remain in or near the ponds. 
THE MUSKRAT. 
Not only do these animals destroy the dams of the ponds, 
but they will also destroy the entire stock of fish, if not 
stopped in time. Luckily for the fish-culturist, they are easily 
mastered. One or two muskrat traps of the old fashioned 
style (Hawley & Norton's No. 1), used by professional trap- 
pers in the Far West, can be procured at almost any hard- 
ware store for thirty cents apiece, the chain included. The 
muskrat holes are looked for and will be found leading into 
the bank and a little below the surface of the water. Ata 
short distance from such a hole (the length of the chain on 
the trap), a peg is driven securely into the ground, and the 
free end of the chain fastened to it. The trap is then set 
without bait, and laid a little to one side immediately into the 
hole, in such a manner that the animal in going in or out 
is obliged to tread upon the plate that springs the trap and 
Over one or the other end, thus it is always caught by one 
of its legs. 
If the trap is placed at right angles with the hole, so that 
the animal has to walk over the bows, these latter, in coming 
together, will throw the rat upwards, and fail to catch it. 
