345 Ground Vermin- 



drives cut through a covert, or under the banks of 

 roadway cuttings, in gravel or stone pits, or places of a 

 like nature where the inside covert is close. The setting 

 is similar to that for stoats, &c., but care must be taken to 

 choose such a spot beneath where a bait will be placed as 

 appears most convenient for the cat to stand upon in 

 order to reach the lure. For this purpose any of those 

 mentioned will do, but for preference a rabbit, and more- 

 over a small one, fixed about i8in. above the trap. 

 The best way is to peg it into the wall, allowing the head 

 to hang downwards. The drags described in a former 

 paragraph will be found not only very useful, but exceed- 

 ingly efficacious in enticing cats to the trap. Tame cats 

 have an extraordinary liking for the scent of valerian, and 

 this liking does not desert them when they indulge in 

 poaching propensities; it always proves a strong induce- 

 ment to forget that caution necessary to their safety, and 

 hence its employment when trapping possesses a two- 

 fold advantage, for besides being an excellent lure it is, 

 moreover, of great use in putting them off their guard. 

 It is, therefore, certainly advisable to obtain some tinc- 

 ture of valerian and place a few drops (two or three will 

 suffice if the tincture be good) upon each bait, besides a 

 drop or so upon the plate of the gin when set. It is 

 also sometimes employed without any bait to the trap, and 

 the simple dropping of a very small quantity upon the 

 plate or plates of one or more gins will prove a powerful 

 attraction for cats, ending in their capture. 



The advisability of the employment of the well-known 

 box-trap is, as far as effectiveness is concerned, rather 

 dubious for cats, as they become uncommonly wary, and 

 except in the case of a rather inexperienced one just 

 entered upon its vicious course of life, it is a better plan 

 to use gins. 



