The box in this case should be of the proportions shown in our engraving, and well ventilated with holes, as indicated. (This ventilation is, by-the-way, a good feature to introduce in _all_ traps.) Having made or selected a suitable box--say, fourteen or more inches wide, provided with a cover, working on a hinge--proceed to fasten on the outside of the lid a loop of stiff wire, bent in the shape shown at (_e_). This may be fastened to the cover by means of small staples, or even tacks, and should project over the edge about two inches. When this is done, the lid should be raised to the angle shown in our ill.u.s.tration, and the spot where the end of the wire loop touches the back of the box should be marked and a slit cut through the wood at this place, large enough for the angle of the loop to pa.s.s through. Two elastics should now be fastened to the inside of the box, being secured to the bottom at the side, and the other to the edge of the cover, as seen in the ill.u.s.tration. They should be sufficiently strong to draw down the cover quickly. The perch, or spindle, should consist of a light stick of wood, as shown at (_b_,) one end provided with a slight notch, and the other fastened to the inside of the front of the box by a string or leather hinge, (_c_,) keeping the notch on the _upper_ side of the stick. It will be now seen that by opening the cover, until the loop enters through the groove, and by then hooking the notch in the spindle _under_ the loop as seen at (_a_) the trap will be set, and if properly done it will be found that a very slight weight on the spindle will set it free from the loop and let the cover down with swiftness.
To secure the cover in place a small tin catch should now be applied to the front edge of the box, as shown in the ill.u.s.tration. A piece of tin two inches in length by a half an inch in breadth will answer for this purpose. One end should be bent [Page 89]
down half an inch at a pretty sharp angle, and the other attached by two tacks, to the edge of the box, in the position shown in the cut. This precaution will effectually prevent the escape of whatever bird, large or small, the trap may chance to secure. It is a necessary feature of the trap, as without it the elastics might be torn asunder and the lid thereby easily raised.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
This trap may be baited in a variety of ways. As it is particularly designed for a _bird_ trap, it is well to sprinkle the bottom of the box with berries, bird-seed, small insects, such as crickets, gra.s.shoppers, etc. These latter are very apt to jump out, and it may be well to fasten one or two of them to the bottom with a pin through the body, just behind the head.
There are many kinds of birds which live almost exclusively on insects; and as this bait is of rather a lively kind, there is scarcely any other method to retain them in their position. A bird on approaching this trap will almost irresistibly alight on the perch, and if not at _first_, it is generally sure to do so before long. If desired, a pasteboard platform may be fastened on the [Page 90]
top of the perch with small tacks, and the bait scattered upon it. This will act in the same manner, and might, perhaps, be a trifle more certain. We will leave it to our readers to experiment upon.
We have given this variety the name of "owl-trap," because it may be used with success in this direction. When set for this purpose, it should be baited with a live mouse, small rat or bird, either fastened to the bottom of the trap, if a bird, or set in with the trap inclosing it, if a mouse. A small bird is the preferable bait, as it may be easily fastened to the bottom of the box by a string, and as a general thing is more sure to attract the attention of the owl by its chirping.
The trap should be set in an open, conspicuous spot, in the neighborhood where the owls in the night are heard to "hoot." The chances are that the box will contain an owl on the following morning.
This bird is a very interesting and beautiful creature, and if our young reader could only catch one, and find rats and mice enough to keep it well fed, he would not only greatly diminish the number of rats in his neighborhood, but he would realize a great deal of enjoyment in watching and studying the habits of the bird.
Should it be difficult to supply the above mentioned food, raw meat will answer equally well. The bird should either be kept in a cage or inclosure and in the latter case, its wings will require to be clipped.
THE BOX BIRD TRAP.
Here we have another invention somewhat resembling the foregoing.
Our engraving represents the arrangement of the parts as the trap appears when set.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
The box may be of almost any shape. A large sized cigar box has been used with excellent success, and for small birds is just the thing. The cover of the box in any case should work on a hinge of some sort. The trap is easily made. The first thing to be done is to cut an upright slot, about two inches in length, through the centre of the backboard, commencing at the upper edge. To the inside centre edge of the cover a small square strap, about four inches in length, should then be secured. It should be so adjusted as that one-half shall project toward the inside of the box, as seen in the ill.u.s.tration, and at the same time pa.s.s easily through [Page 91]
the slot beneath where the cover is closed. The lid should now be supplied with elastics as described in the foregoing. Next in order comes the bait stick. Its shape is clearly shown in our ill.u.s.tration, and it may be either cut in one piece or consist of two parts joined together at the angle. To the long arm the bait should be attached and the upright portion should be just long enough to suspend the cover in a position on a line with the top of the box. The trap may now be set, as seen in our ill.u.s.tration, and should be supplied with the necessary tin catch, described in the foregoing.
THE PENDENT BOX TRAP.
This invention is original with the author of this work, and when properly made and set will prove an excellent device for the capture of small birds.
The general appearance of the trap, as set, is clearly shown in our ill.u.s.tration. A thin wooden box is the first requisite, it should be about a foot square and six inches in depth, and supplied with a close fitting cover, working on hinges. The sides should then be perforated with a few auger holes for purposes of ventilation.
Two elastics are next in order, and they should be attached to the cover and box, one on each side, as shown at (_a_.) They should be drawn to a strong tension, so as to hold the cover firmly against the box.
The mechanism of the trap centres in the bait stick which differs in construction from any other described in this book.
It should be made about the size of a lead pencil, and eleven [Page 92]
inches or so in length, depending of course upon the size of the box.
It should then be divided in two pieces by a perfectly flat cut, the longer part being six inches in length. This piece should be attached to the back board of the box by a small string and a tack, as shown at (_c_), its end being bluntly pointed. Its attachment should be about five inches above the bottom board, and in the exact centre of the width of the back.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Near the flat end of the other piece the bait consisting of a berry or other fruit, should be secured, and the further extremity of the stick should then be rounded to a blunt point. The trap is now easily set. Raise the lid and lift the long stick to the position given in the ill.u.s.tration. Adjust the flat end of the bait stick against that of the former, and allow the pressure of the lid to bear against the blunt point of the short stick at (_d_), as shown in the ill.u.s.tration, a straight dent being made in the cover to receive it, as also in the back of the box for the other piece.
If properly constructed, this pressure will be sufficient to hold the sticks end to end, as our engraving represents, and the trap is [Page 93]
thus set. The slightest weight on the false perch thus made will throw the parts asunder, and the cover closes with a snap.
The greatest difficulties in constructing the trap will be found in the bearings of the bait sticks (_b_), the ends of which must be perfectly flat and join snugly, in order to hold themselves together. The box may now be suspended in a tree by the aid of a string at the top. The first bird that makes bold enough to alight on the perch is a sure captive, and is secured without harm. If desired, the elastic may be attached to the inside of the cover, extending to the back of the box, as seen in the initial at the head of this chapter. If the elastic in any event shows tendencies toward relaxing, the tin catch described on page 88 should be adjusted to the lower edge of the box to insure capture.
THE HAWK TRAP.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Our ill.u.s.tration represents a hawk in a sad plight. The memory of a recent feast has attracted it to the scene of many of [Page 94]
its depredations: but the ingenious farmer has at last outwitted his feathered foe and brought its sanguinary exploits to a timely end. This trap is a "Yankee" invention and has been used with great success in many instances where the hawk has become a scourge to the poultry yard. The contrivance is clearly shown in an ill.u.s.tration, consisting merely of a piece of plank two feet square, set with stiff perpendicular pointed wires.
This affair was set on the ground in a conspicuous place, the board covered with gra.s.s, and the nice fat Poland hen which was tied to the centre proved a morsel too tempting for the hawk to resist.
Hence the "fell swoop" and the fatal consequences depicted in our ill.u.s.tration. The owl has also been successfully captured by the same device.
THE WILD DUCK NET.
Following will be found two examples of traps in very common use for the capture of wild ducks, and in the region of Chesapeake bay, immense numbers of the game are annually taken by their aid.
The first is the well known net trap, so extensively used in nearly all countries, both for the capture of various kinds of fish as well as winged game. Our ill.u.s.tration gives a very clear idea of the construction of the net, and an elaborate description is almost superfluous. It consists of a graduated series of hoops covered by a net work. From each a converging net extends backward ending in a smaller hoop which is held in position by cords extending [Page 95]
therefrom to the next larger hoop. The depth of these converging nets should extend backward about three or four feet from the large hoop; and the distance between these latter should be about five feet. The length of the net should be about twenty feet, terminating in a "pound" or netted enclosure, as seen in the ill.u.s.tration. The trap may be set on sh.o.r.e or in the water as seen. "Decoy" birds are generally used, being enclosed in the pound.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
When set on land the bait consisting of corn or other grain should be spread about the entrance and through the length of the net.
It is remarkable that a duck which so easily finds its way within the netted enclosure, should be powerless to make its escape, but such seems to be the fact, and even a single hoop with its reflex net, has been known to secure a number of the game.
THE HOOK TRAP
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Our second example is one which we are almost tempted to exclude on account of its cruelty, but as our volume is especially devoted to traps of all kinds and as this is a variety in very common use, we feel bound to give it a pa.s.sing notice. Our ill.u.s.tration fully conveys its painful mode of capture, and a beach at low water is generally the scene of the slaughter. A long stout cord is first stretched across the sand and secured [Page 96]
to a peg at each end. To this shorter lines are attached at intervals, each one being supplied with a fish hook baited with a piece of the tender rootstock of a certain water reed, of which the ducks are very fond. The main cord and lines are then imbedded in the sand, the various baits only appearing on the surface, and the success of the device is equal to its cruelty.
THE "FOOL"S CAP" TRAP.
Of all oddities of the trap kind, there is, perhaps, no one more novel and comical than the "Fool"s Cap" crow-trap, which forms the subject of our present ill.u.s.tration. Crows are by no means easy of capture in any form of trap, and they are generally as coy and as shrewd in their approach to a trap as they are bold in their familiarity and disrespect for the sombre scarecrows in the com field. But this simple device will often mislead the smartest and shrewdest crow, and make a perfect _fool_ of him, for it is hard to imagine a more ridiculous sight than is furnished by the strange antics and evolutions of a crow thus embarra.s.sed with his head imbedded in a cap which he finds impossible to remove, and which he in vain endeavors to shake off by all sorts of gymnastic performance. The secret of the little contrivance is easily told.
The cap consists of a little cone of stiff paper, about three or four inches in diameter at the opening. This is imbedded in the ground, up to its edge, and a few grains of corn are dropped into it. The inside edge of the opening is then smeared with _bird-lime_, [Page 97]
a substance of which we shall speak hereafter.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
The crow, on endeavoring to reach the corn, sinks his bill so deep in the cone as to bring the gummy substance in contact with the feathers of his head and neck, to which it adheres in spite of all possible efforts on the part of the bird to throw it off.
The cones may be made of a brownish-colored paper if they are to be placed in the earth, but of white paper when inserted in the snow. It is an excellent plan to insert a few of these cones in the fresh corn hills at planting season, as the crows are always on the watch at this time, and will be sure to partake of the tempting morsels, not dreaming of the result. The writer has often heard of this ingenious device, and has read of its being successfully employed in many instances, but he has never yet had an opportunity of testing it himself. He will leave it for his readers to experiment upon for themselves.