Practical Game-Preserving. 3 2 & 



sustaining the plate, with a knife, or by other suitable and 

 safe means, place the square of grass neatly on the plate 

 of the gin. It should be of such a size as just to fit 

 within the square of the jaws; then, by pressing the grass 

 upon the other side towards the inner one all round the 

 trap, the necessary covering is completed, and the twig 

 used to support the plate may be drawn away, and the 

 11 tilling " is accomplished. This mode is, however, a 

 more risky one as far as the fingers are concerned, as the 

 trap must be most carefully set. 



The position of the bait is also an important matter, 

 and whenever it is placed upon the surface of the ground 

 it should be securely pegged down, so that the vermin 

 attracted to it may endeavour to obtain it by pulling first 

 one side and then another, so as to bring it into the trap, 

 which it would not do were the bait unsecured. Some- 

 times it is advisable to suspend the lure on a tree, and in 

 these instances its height from the ground should be just 

 sufficient to prevent any varmint from attaining it except 

 by standing where the gin is concealed. 



All the methods above described for capturing vermin 

 comprise those suitable for either the stoat, the weasel, or 

 the polecat, and according to the locality, appearances, 

 and general surroundings, it may be judged which animal 

 is more likely to be captured. 



Weasels, however, will most probably be caught when 

 the bait consists of eggs, but an occasional stoat may fall 

 a victim. Eggs may be employed in all the positions 

 named except the last, and for economy's sake the bait 

 may sometimes be feigned. Reserve all egg-shells from 

 the breakfast-table, fill them with moist clay, and fit 

 into each a small peg by which to stick them up on the 

 ground, three, four, or five together; afterwards form a 

 rough sort of nest round them and set one or more 



