certainly fought at disadvantage, one of its fore-legs having been injured by a trap. These creatures had lived together for upwards of a month, after which time the ferret commenced its attacks at intervals of a few days or a week. I went out daily to see them fed, when the dinner-party exhibited very little kindliness or good breeding. No traps should be set for running vermin during warm weather, as the bait so soon taints; nor in hard frost, as the traps are then not apt to spring, or hold the vermin so slightly that they escape. WINGED VERMIN The hawk tribe, seldom or never taking a bait, are the most difficult to be trapped of all winged vermin. The only plan with any chance of success (except at the breeding time) is to place a trap on the top of a wall, or bare stump of a tree, throwing a dead cat or other carrion at the foot; the hawks will often alight, to look down at it, and thus be caught. A hawk, however, will always return to any bird he has killed, even should scarcely anything be left but the bones. In such a case, immediately procure a trap, hang the bird directly above, and close to it, or the hawk may reach over and take it down without touching the trap. But when they hatch is the time thoroughly to thin them. The nests should be most carefully searched out, and not disturbed until the young are more than half fledged. Many shoot the old hen flying off her eggs; but this is not the way to extirpate the race, as the males of course escape. When the young are pretty strong, and able to call loudly from hunger, take them out of the nest, and make two circles out of sight of each other. These circles must not be artificial or formed of twigs stuck in the ground, but any bushes of furze, heather, or rushes, must be taken advantage of for the purpose. Half of the young ones must be tied in the one, and half in the other. They must have very short tethers, or they will waddle into the trap. If this is well executed, you are sure of both old ones next day. 66 Buzzards and kites are easily trapped in autumn or winter, as they readily take a bait. It is not worth while to take much trouble about them, as they do little mischief to game, unless a young bird that cannot fly, or small leveret, happen to stumble in their way. I am loath to bring an accusation against my great favourite, the ivy-owl, but truth compels me to say that he is nearly as injurious to game as the buzzard— quite as much so as the kite. The other owls-viz, the white and the long and short eared--may be considered harmless. Carrion-crows and ravens, or corbies," take them for all in all, are perhaps as mischievous as hawks. The best season for trapping them is in March and April; the circle of twigs is to be set in conspicuous places; the same bait as for foxes, martens, &c. will do, but the best is a dead lamb, from being so readily seen; and at that season it may be very easily procured. The numbers taken in this way are astonishing. When they become cunning, take down the twigs and plant half-a-dozen traps round the lamb. If there is a puddle of water near, the bait may be placed in the middle of it, with one or two entrances, upon which traps may be set; the ravens, &c. are sure to light on these entrances before settling on the lamb, and the trouble of setting so many traps as would otherwise be required is thus avoided. Magpies, jays, &c. all take a bait; but the grand recipe thoroughly to destroy them is to find the nests and set the young in circles. * A curious story of the honey-buzzard was related to me by a gentleman whose name stands high as a scholar, and who takes great interest in Natural History. A friend of his was passing a gravel-pit, when he perceived what he thought was a bird without a head; he walked silently forward and seized it, and discovered that his prize was a honey-buzzard, which had thrust its head into a wasp's nest, and was busily engaged in devouring the larvæ. The bird was kept tame for some time afterwards. There are many other ways of killing all these vermin which I have not thought it worth while to mention, as they cannot stand a comparison with those I have named. Traps must always be set close to paths or any other open places near the haunts of the different vermin, with which it should be the keeper's great endeavour to make himself thoroughly acquainted. If placed according to these rules, there is not much danger of either cattle or game getting into any, except those set without circles for carrion-crows or foxes, which of course require caution. We constantly see keepers lounging about with their guns in pursuit of vermin; this ought not to be. Guns only tempt them to idleness, and are an excellent excuse for doing nothing. In my opinion, no vermin should be shot by a gamekeeper. But if his master prefer securing the old hens as they fly off the nest during incubation, instead of waiting for the young to come out, no other plan can be adopted. My reasons to the contrary have been given. I have no doubt that the truly valuable keeper, who takes an interest in the duties of his situation, will approve of all I have said, and endeavour to profit by it: the careless, ignorant, and lazy will as certainly cavil and condemn. TRAPS Great care should be taken in the selection of traps: none but an approved maker ought to be employed: that the springs are well tempered and strong is of the utmost consequence. The jaws must overlap, which is a great preventive to the legs, especially of the winged vermin, being shred off. To avoid this, some traps are made with weaker springs and long teeth : these are not to be recommended, for, although the teeth may counterbalance the weakness of the spring, yet the vermin are apt to feel them when walking up to the bait, and slink back without stepping on the plate. It is also much more difficult to set them neatly. Traps whose springs have been weakened by constant use may be reserved for flying vermin. VERMIN TERRIER I had almost forgotten to say that every game keeper, in all his trapping and other excursions, should be accompanied by an excellent vermin terrier. The use of this dog is to challenge vermin in earths, clefts of rocks, &c., thus making the keeper aware where to plant a trap-to find out fowmartes in old walls or heaps of stones, where they generally conceal themselves, and to run those banes of the preserve, the semiwild cats, into trees, where, with the assistance of his master, they may easily be killed. A dog will soon become so expert at this last accomplishment that few cats will be able to escape him. These cats do much more mischief than real wild ones, as they are impudent enough to carry their depredations into the midst of the preserve, and close to the most frequented places. The fowmarte, although an enemy to all game, is generally more calumniated than he deserves: he is not nearly so injurious as the marten or cat. I have frequently found his retreat when no other signs of plunder were to be seen except a few frogs half-eaten. polecat has no activity; and if the where he has sheltered himself can moved, he cannot escape. When discovered, the wall or heap of stones be pulled down or re Only one and the same terrier should be the keeper's constant companion, as the dog will soon be "up to " the traps, and from continual practice become first-rate at this work. He must have a very good nose, and be perfectly callous to game of all descriptions, but especially rabbits and hares. POISONING VERMIN Clearing off the vermin by poison has been much in vogue of late years. But, to say nothing of murdering all the dogs in the neighbourhood, it seems a pity to treat the now rare and interesting rovers of the desert like rats. This Turko-Spanish plan of quietly putting them out of the way may find favour with the man whose only pleasure in Highland sport consists in butchering game. For my own part, I would rather trap one fine specimen of the hill-fox, the wild-cat, or the marten, than shoot one hundred brace of grouse. As to the mean pilfering Lowland kinds, such as carrion-crows and magpies, there is no danger of scarcity in that quarter, and no risk in poisoning them, provided it is done by means of eggs. The keeper has only to gum with a piece of white paper the chip in the shell where the strychnine is inserted, and put two or three of these poisoned eggs, a little shaded by the long grass, under the trees where the magpies, &c. harbour. They will be almost certain to see and devour them. THE END PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS, EDINBURGH |