Practical Game-Preserving. 264 



however, a few small traps be set round the outside, 

 they are almost sure to stop any vermin, as these animals 

 always seek an entry for some time, and will pass per- 

 sistently up and down or round the wire-netting before 

 making any attempt to scale it. The traps need not 

 be baited, but must be carefully covered up, and be 

 staked down or attached to the wire. As a guide to the 

 uninitiated, it may be mentioned that when stoats or 

 weasels kill the ducklings they invariably bite into the 

 heads of them, and seek to draw them away. Rats 3o 

 not do this, but usually partially or wholly devour their 

 victims. 



Amongst winged vermin, crows and occasionally rooks 

 are very destructive to wild ducklings, once they find them 

 out. Crows always carry away any victims they seize, 

 and devour them at their leisure, so that when the duck- 

 lings disappear without apparent cause the blame must 

 be laid on these feathered thieves. Once they start taking 

 ducklings, practically nothing will stop them, unless you 

 catch or kill them. They are remarkably cunning and 

 wary, and it behoves the owner of the young fowl to be 

 extremely alert, or the vermin will come again and again 

 without being noticed. Almost the best way is to conceal 

 yourself in a favourable position, provided with a gun, 

 and allow somebody else to let out and feed the ducklings. 

 The marauding crow or crows will then very soon make 

 their appearance, and can be shot. They can also be 

 taken in traps ; but, being so quick and wary, they are 

 very likely to elude your wiles. Probably the best way 

 of getting crows when they are taking or attempting to 

 take the ducklings is to confine most of the latter to the 

 coops or runs for two or three mornings. Then provide 

 yourself with a small wire-covered run, closed all round, 

 and beneath this place half-a-dozen of the youngsters. 



