44 
THE NATURALIST’S GUIDE. 
animal is caught in a steel trap, the disagreeable emission 
will be prevented. All animals should be killed either 
by breaking the backbone or by compressing the ribs, to 
stop the breath ; never by a blow on the head, as this is 
liable to injure the skull, which must be preserved entire 
for scientific investigation. 
The following animals may be decoyed into traps by 
means of peculiar scents : Foxes, Fishers, Martens, Minks, 
Weasels, Wildcats of all species, Otters, Beavers, Bears, 
Muskrats, and Eaccoons. These scents are made of differ- 
ent substances. The musk of the Muskrat, contained in 
two glands situated just below the skin upon the back 
part of the abdomen, will decoy Muskrats and Minks, and 
perhaps Wildcats. This musk may be procured from the 
male in early spring. After the two glands spoken of 
are removed, they may be cut open, when the musk — 
which is a milky fluid — will appear, and may be squeezed 
out, mixed with alcohol, and kept for use. This musk is 
used in the following manner : Cut a stick of pine about 
six inches long, make a small cavity in one end ; into this 
drop a little of the musk, fasten the stick in such a position 
that the animal to be deco^^ed must place his foot upon 
the trap in order to reach it. 
Foxes, I have been informed by old trappers, are read- 
ily decoyed by using the fetid scent of the Skunk in the 
same manner. This scent is a greenish fluid, and is con- 
tained in glands situated in the anal region; it may be 
obtained in the same manner as the musk, although the 
operation is not pleasant. All of the above-named ani- 
mals may be successfully decoyed by using an excessively 
fetid scent prepared during warm weather in the follow- 
ing manner: Take a good-sized eel or trout, and cut it 
in small pieces ; place it in a quart bottle, cover the top 
with gauze to keep the flies out, hang the bottle on the 
south side of a fence or building, and let it remain two 
