64 
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 
caves and niches of the chffs and ledges for tracks or traces of white- 
footed or red-backed mice, or for tiny burrows and runways of shrews, 
or for larger burrows and hollows where chipmunks hve. Or go into 
the woods and find the homes of flying squirrels by pounding on the 
sides of hollow trees or trees with old woodpecker holes in them, and 
watch the flying squirrels peep out and in response to harder pounding 
soar away to other trees. Listen for the chatter of red or pine squirrels 
and then steal up quietly and watch them at work or play and get 
their home range located so that you can come and watch them at any 
time. Learn how to find , the common species and you will gradually 
learn to find the rare ones. 
The next step is to get the animals you want for specimens or to 
catch them ahve for closer study. If you wish specimens, set any 
of the half dozen kinds of snap traps that come down across the necks 
or backs and Idll quickly, selecting the right sizes for the animals you 
are trapping. In runways set the trap across the run so the trigger 
will be in the way of passing mice, and sprinkle rolled oats over it. For 
white-footed mice and others that do not make runways place the 
traps where they feed or travel and sprinkle plenty of rolled oats over 
the trigger and a little around the trap. For chipmunks and flying 
squirrels use larger traps, generally the size made for rats, set on logs 
or stumps or in hollow trees or fittle shelves on the sides of trees, and 
baited with nuts or bread fastened to the trigger and sprinkled over 
with rolled oats. For shrews set mouse-size traps under logs or rocks 
or banks or at little burrows in woods earth, with a bit of fresh meat or 
bacon on the trigger and also a sprinkle of rolled oats. A great variety 
of baits may be used, grains, seeds, nuts, bread, meat, and vegetables 
according to the tastes of the animals, but rolled oats seem to appeal 
to the greatest number. There are several pamphlets giving directions 
for preparing specimens. 
While catching animals for specimens is a very necessary and fun- 
damental part of our study, the process does not teach us much of 
their habits. Catching them ahve for study is just as easy. Forty 
years ago I had to make all of my traps for small mammals and most 
of the traps caught the animals ahve and uninjured. 
The simplest trap is the inverted bov/1. A glass bowl is good but a 
tin can, pan, bucket, or box will do. A fight dish or box may need a 
stone on top for weight. Cut out of a thin board or shingle a trigger, 
rounded at one end and pointed at the other. Fasten some bait to the 
pointed end and place the rounded end under the edge of the bowl or 
