THE CHATI. 
79 
known of their detection by the dogs. 
When the moon shines, they abstain from 
entering inhabited spots, and are never 
trapped. To lie in wait for them with a gun 
is hopeless, so sharp a watch do they keep. 
They carry off fowls from trees which they 
climb, often six in one night, and some¬ 
times leave several dead. Men and dogs 
are avoided by them with extreme caution; 
and each pair is supposed to live in a sepa¬ 
rate district, for one male and one female, 
and no more, are always caught in one 
place. D’Azara’s friend, Father Noseda, 
formed a trap of strong stakes with three 
divisions,—iu the middle one of which he 
placed a white fowl, so that it might not 
only be heard but seen at a distance. The 
other divisions were so arranged.as to be 
shut by the falling of planks as soon as the 
chatis entered. These traps were set in 
those places to which they resorted for prey; 
and those caught were turned into a great 
den in Father Noseda’s court-yard. Some 
of them got away and were taken two or 
three times in the same trap,—from which 
D’Azara infers that the idea of danger was 
