Practical Game-Preserving. 326 



If it be discovered that there are vermin located in a 

 plantation or a small wood, should there be an earth bank 

 round it with a gapway partly filled with dead briars, 

 thorn-bushes, pieces of tree-branches, &c., a run will 

 probably exist through this conglomeration of stoppings, 

 and a trap may be set on the inner side of the gap at the 

 extremity of the run, that is, where the run emerges from 

 the briars; but if there is not already a track under and 

 through the stoppings, one should be made by thrusting 

 through a good-sized stick along the ground ; by working it 

 well about in a skilful manner, a good and tempting 

 passage through will be formed just the style of entrance 

 to its neighbourhood that either one or all of the favoured 

 three would desire. 



When baits are used to lure the vermin into the trap, 

 the situations and surroundings need not be so minutely 

 considered as in other cases, and the distribution of the 

 gins may be more indiscriminate. The most suitable spots 

 are along hedges or banks near to or enclosing a wood, 

 plantation, or copse, at the corners adjacent to gates and 

 gapways, about good-sized heaps of large stones, and in 

 and about small pieces of low rough covert. Further, 

 all along low earth banks running right across some planta- 

 tion, and similar dry ditches to those already mentioned ; 

 about the edges of any small pits that may exist ; or, if 

 a rough road runs through the wood, along the sides of 

 this; besides any drives and trigs made for sporting pur- 

 poses. All these are eminently suited for the situation 

 of a number of vermin-gins, and they have the further 

 advantage of being easily found. 



The bait best used at these spots would be either a 

 young and newly-killed rabbit, or a bird of some sort, 

 preferably half a wood-pigeon, a blackbird, or even a dead 

 partridge. This should be firmly pegged down to the 



