Practical Game-Preserving. 3 20 



very light, easily set, and capable of being placed in many 

 situations where the vermin run where a Dorset trap would 

 be quite unsuitable. For these traps I employ specially 

 light steel chains, with two swivels fitted, and iron stakes. 



Everitt's Safety Vermin Trap is a useful addition to 

 the foregoing, and can be employed successfully for stoats 

 and weasels, especially when necessary to use traps 

 amongst winged or ground game. The nature of the trap 

 will be apparent from Figs. 50 and 51, p. 360, but it 

 requires to be worked under special conditions, a bait being 

 used, and the trap so set with covering of brushwood, &c., 

 as to induce the vermin to attempt to pass through it to 

 reach the lure. They are useful round about coops, or if 

 placed between two drain-pipes through which vermin are 

 fond of running, and in such similar positions as may 

 suggest themselves as occasion arises. 



The foregoing traps may be regarded as the vermin- 

 catcher's main implements, and upon them he must rely 

 for 'the most part. I shall describe some other traps pre- 

 sently ; but, in the meantime, the proper means of employ- 

 ing these kinds will be explained. 



Before going further, however, the question of baits 

 requires consideration. Of course, the best bait one can 

 have is the remains of any creature which a stoat, weasel, 

 &c., may have killed, and recently left for one cause or 

 another. The vermin invariably return to it, and finding 

 anything of the kind, the keeper should, of course, trap 

 beside it, leaving it, however, in the same position as he 

 may find it. Otherwise, baits should be chosen with a 

 view to the probability of their occurring where put down. 

 Small birds and rabbits, the remains or entrails of larger 

 ones, pieces of carrion liver, lights, or heart for prefer- 

 ence are the most generally applicable and efficacious. 

 Fish is of little value, although frequently recommended ; 



