325 Ground Vermin. 



for about a yard or so through it, at the end of which sort 

 of artificial track the allurement may be dropped. In 

 the run thus formed the trap should be placed with the 

 spring, of course, at right angles to the parting, and it 

 must be carefully set and covered. In a similar way, 

 opportunity may be taken to place some gins upon the top 

 of the hedge, and, under these circumstances, it often 

 happens, when two hedge-banks intersect each other at 

 right angles, in a case where "conies" may be fairly 

 numerous, that two well-defined runs will be formed along 

 the tops. Such runs are much favoured by stoats and 

 weasels when upon their marauding expeditions, and if a 

 bait be placed at the crossing, it is certain to be remarked. 

 For this purpose a bird, such as a pigeon or a small chicken, 

 may be suspended in the air by means of a stick affixed 

 at the most suitable point, and, moreover, just sufficiently 

 high to be out of the reach of either varmint. This will 

 cause any one of these animals that may be passing to 

 stop and try to obtain it ; hence it is obvious, if a gin 

 be skilfully tilled exactly under the bait, a weasel or a 

 stoat cannot fail to be entrapped. 



Dry ditches adjacent to the hedgerow, or if of some 

 depth, running across a field, are also capital situations 

 for gins, which may be placed at intervals of considerable 

 length along the bottoms, a drag being employed to attract 

 the attention of any vermin to the ditch. In some cases 

 drains or dry watercourses for irrigating purposes pass 

 under and through a hedgerow, and just in the centre of 

 the portion of the ditch covered by the bank a trap may 

 be carefully set, as likely to prove efficacious. Mouths of 

 such little bridges, or rather coverings of gutters, as are 

 provided for the easier crossing of carts, &c., are very 

 suitable and, in some cases, fruitful situations for two traps, 

 one at each extremity. In such case no bait is necessary. 



