Practical Game-Preserving. 340 



weighted lid to fall and crush it. Some nail on to the 

 cover four narrow strips of hoop iron; this may be done 

 if wished, its object being to prevent the vermin if only 

 slightly caught from squeezing out at the side of the trap. 

 It is advisable, of course, to colour the trap with mud, or 

 to stain the wood with tan. A mixture of Joz. of alum, 

 loz. of burnt umber, ijoz. of lampblack, dissolved in 

 about a pint of porter, used as a paint, gives it the colour 

 of an old slate. The catches forming the actual trap 

 require a little oil now and then to prevent rust and con- 

 sequent jamming. This dead-fall may be employed 

 anywhere, at any time, and its use in nearly all the situa- 

 tions appearing most adapted to it will probably, or rather, 

 certainly, be marked by its great efficacy, as concerns the 

 capture of stoats and weasels, besides polecats. 



Another trap that may be brought into use for the 

 purposes under consideration is what is known as the 

 " Break-Back Rat Trap." The smallness of the make, 

 however, precludes its employment except for weasels, but 

 if a handy ironmonger happens to be in the neighbour- 

 hood, he will probably be able to turn out a dozen rather 

 larger upon the same principle, if practical instructions 

 be given him, with such differences as to improve the 

 trap for the purposes for which it is required. Often in 

 country towns, under the name of ironmongers, there are 

 men who are very clever in turning out little things like 

 this. When the " break -back " is used it must be covered 

 over upon the top and hidden as much as possible. The 

 situations for it do not vary from those for the gin. 



Its action is something like that of the High Elms trap, 

 but instead of the cover falling, a spring wire raised to 

 the lid is held there in suspension by a sort of trigger, 

 which is released by the vermin touching the bait, when 

 the spring flies down, and, as the name of the trap 



