TRAPPING OF EATS. 
251 
over witb straw or fern, so as not to check the action of the 
trap, and at the same time to leave a small opening for them 
to enter secretly. 
" There were two other points I always observed in setting 
and baiting traps. The first was to rub the ends and 
the insides at the entrance with the herring ; or dipping 
a little piece of twisted-up paper into either of the scents J 
might fancy to use with any other bait, and touching the 
ends and sides, throw the paper in : this had the effect of 
throwing them off their guard, by causing them to smell 
and lick the parts, and then rush eagerly at the bait. 
"The second point was, always to strew the inside and 
round about the traps with chaff or sawdust, more especially 
wire-traps ; and as to gin or steel traps, I always covered 
them with it, because the iron striking cold to the rat's feet, 
causes him to jump backj and mostly to turn away with 
suspicion. 
" I must now tell you how I first cleansed the squire's 
estate of vermin. It was, to trap and ferret out all I 
could, and then poison the remainder. But let me guard 
you against one prevailing folly in these cases, namely, 
impatience. Many think, because they have gone to the 
expense and trouble of buying and baiting a trap, that the 
rat is in duty bound to run instantly into it, and be killed. 
'No such thing; the rat has no more desire to be killed than 
we have ; and what is more, it is a hundred to one if he goes 
near it the first night ; for in most cases an old rat must 
first become familiar both with the inside and outside of the 
trap, before you have a chance of taking him. Hence the 
necessity for never moving a trap after you have once placed 
it ; and you may take my word for it, that a fractious, ill- 
tempered man will never make a good rat-catcher. I have 
known rats to go for weeks before they would venture into 
a trap. Others, again, may be caught the first or second 
night. 
When I went to clear a place, I always made a practice 
of fastening up the drops of the traps with pieces of stick, 
and feeding the traps also, for at least three days and nights, 
so that the rats might run in and out, and feed at pleasure. 
Indeed, I never attempted taking them till I found them 
enter the traps boldly, and devour the feed freely ; because, 
