Natural History
TRAPPING ANIMALS Trapping wild animals with steel traps is a wretchedly cruel business and will doubtless be forbidden by law before long. The old-fashioned deadfall which kills the animal at once is quite sufficient for all the legitimate work of a trapper. But many boys wish to capture animals alive without doing them any injury, and this is easily managed for most species if a ketchalive is used. The VfoM*tn. Tri^ftr Stctt'on. of Boxtr&f) o»" ketchaHve or old-fashioned box trap is made in a hundred different ways; but the main principles are shown in the illustration. The lock on the side is necessary for some species, such as skunks, that would easily lift the lid and escape. For skunks, cats, weasels, mink, rats, etc., use a piece of chicken as bait. For rabbits use bread, turnip, apple, or other vegetable. The trap should be visited every morning or not used at all. THE SECRETS OF THE TEAIL It was Fenimore Cooper who first put the good Indian on paper — who called the attention of the world to the wonderful woodcraft of these most wonderful savage§,
