mechanism.—THE MOLE TRAP.—A Much-needed Contrivance.—Subterranean Mode of Setting.—Its Unfailing Success.—A FISH TRAP.—A Section of Stove Pipe used as a Trap.—Its Various Victims.—Adjustment of the Bait.—Curious Mode of Capture.

BOOK V.

HOUSEHOLD TRAPS.

A Chapter Dedicated to Pestered Housekeepers.—The Domestic Cat as a Household Trap.—The Rat.—Its Proverbial Shrewdness and Cunning.—THE BARREL TRAP.—Its unlimited Capabilities of Capture—Other Advantages.—"Baiting" for Rats.—A Second Form of Barrel Trap.—Various other Devices adapted to the capture of the Rat.—The Steel Trap.—Hints on Setting.—Necessary Precautions.—THE BOX DEAD FALL.—THE BOARD FLAP.—THE BOX PIT FALL.—Animals for which it may be set.—Its Extensive Capabilities of Capture.—Its Self-Setting Qualities.—The principle Utilized for the Capture of the Muskrat.—THE CAGE TRAP.—THE JAR TRAP.—A Preserve Jar Converted into a Mouse Trap.—Its Complete Success.—BOWL TRAPS.—Two Methods.—FLY PAPER.—Recipe for Making.—FLY TRAP.

BOOK VI.

STEEL TRAPS AND THE ART OF TRAPPING.

General Remarks.—Advantages of the Steel Trap.—Its extensive use in the business of Trapping.—Hints on the Selection of Traps.—REQUISITES OF A GOOD STEEL TRAP.—The Newhouse Trap.—Various sizes.—Rat Trap.—Muskrat Trap.—Mink Trap.—Fox Trap.—Otter Trap.—Beaver Trap.—"Great Bear Tamer."—Small Bear Trap.—HINTS ON BAITING THE STEEL TRAP.—The Staked Pen.—Old Method of Baiting.—Its Objections.—Advantages of the New Method.—THE SPRING POLE.—Its Service to the Trapper.—THE SLIDING POLE.—Advantages of its Use in the Capture of Aquatic Animals.—THE CLOG.—Objections against Securing the Steel Trap to a Stake.—Method of Attaching the Clog.—THE GRAPPLING IRON.—THE SEASON FOR TRAPPING.—Best condition for Furs.—THE ART OF TRAPPING.—Antiquity of the Sport.—Necessary Qualifications for Successful Trapping.—The Study of Natural History a source of pleasure and profit.—The Professional Trapper's most serious Obstacles.—Marvellous Cunning of many Animals.—Necessity of the Study of their Habits.—"Practical Natural History."—Trapping Without Bait.—Run-ways or By-paths.—How Utilized by the Trapper.—How Detected.—Favorable Localities for the Setting of the Steel Trap.—Natural Advantages.—Entrapping animals through their Sense of Smell.—Remarkable Power of Scent Baits.—Their great value in the Capture of the Beaver.—Caution in Handling the Steel Trap.—Effect of the Touch of the Hand.—Buckskin Gloves a Necessary Requisite.—MEDICINES, OR SCENT BAITS.—Their Great Importance in the Art of Trapping.—CASTOREUM OR BARKSTONE.—How Obtained.—Castoreum Composition.—Recipe for Making.—How Used.—MUSK—ASSAFŒTIDA.—OIL OF RHODIUM.—FISH OIL.—Its General Use in the Capture of Aquatic Animals.—Valuable Recipe for its Manufacture.—OIL OF SKUNK.—How Obtained.—How Eradicated from Hands or Clothing.—OIL OF AMBER.—OIL OF AMBERGRIS.—OIL OF ANISE.—Its General Use as a "Universal Medicine."—SWEET FENNEL.—CUMMIN—FENUGREEK— LAVENDER—COMPOUND MEDICINE—THE TRAIL—Its Object and Value.—Various Modes of Making.—HOW TO TRAP.—General Remarks.—THE FOX.—Its Scientific Classification.—The Various American Species.—The Red Fox.—The Cross Fox.—Why so Named.—The Black or Silver Fox.—The Great Value of its Fur.—The Prairie Fox.—The Kit or Swift Fox.—The Gray Fox.—Similarity in the General Characteristics of the Various Species.—Food of the Fox.—Its Home.—Its consummate Craft.—Instances of its Cunning.—Baffling the Hounds.—How to Trap the Fox.—Preparation of the Trap.—Adverse Effect of Human Scent.—Necessity of handling Trap with Gloves.—The "Bed."—"Baiting" the Bed Necessary.—Precautions in Setting the Trap.—The "Tricks of the Trapper" Illustrated.—How to Proceed in case of Non-Success.—The Scent-Baits Utilized.—Various Modes of Setting the Trap.—The Baits Commonly Used.—The Dead Fall as a Means of Capture.—Common Mode of Skinning the Fox.—Directions for Stretching Skin.—THE WOLF.—The Various Species.—Fierce Characteristics of the Wolf.—Its Terrible Inroads among Herds and Flocks.—The Gray Wolf.—The Coyote or Common Prairie Wolf.—The Texan Wolf.—Home of the Wolf.—Number of Young.—Cunning of the Wolf.—Caution Required in Trapping.—How to Trap the Wolf.—Preparation of Trap.—Various Ways of Setting the Trap.—Use of the Trail and Scent Baits.—"Playing Possum."—The Dead Fall and "Twitch-up" as Wolf Traps.—Directions for Skinning the Wolf and Stretching the Pelt.—THE PUMA.—Its Scientific Classification.—Its Life and Habits.—Its Wonderful Agility.—Its Skill as an Angler.—Its Stealth.—Various Traps Used in the Capture of the Puma.—The Gun Trap.—The Bow Trap.—The Dead Fall.—Trap for Taking the Animal Alive.—Log Coop Trap.—The Pit Fall.—Bait for the Puma.—The Steel Trap.—Common Mode of Setting.—Selection of Locality for Trapping.—How to Skin the Puma.—Directions for Stretching the Pelt.—THE CANADA LYNX.—Description of the Animal.—Its Life and Habits.—Its Food.—Its Peculiar Appearance when Running.—Easily Killed.—The Dead Fall as a Lynx Trap.—Peculiar Manner of Construction for the Purpose.—The Gun Trap.—The Bow Trap.—The Twitch-up.—Young of the Lynx.—Value of its Fur.—The Steel Trap.—Various Methods of Setting.—Directions for Skinning the Animal and Stretching the Pelt.—THE WILD CAT.—Its Resemblance to the Domestic Species.—Its Strange Appetite.—Its Home.—Number of Young.—Haunts of the Wild Cat.—Its Nocturnal Marauding expeditions.—Its Lack of Cunning.—How to Trap the Wild Cat.—An Entire Colony Captured.—Ferocity of the Wild Cat.—The Twitch-up.—Its Common Use in the Capture of the Wild Cat.—Other Successful Traps.—Various Baits for the Wild Cat.—Directions for Skinning the Animal, and Stretching the Pelt.—THE BEAR.—The Various American Species.—The Grizzly.—Its Enormous Size and Power.—Its Terrible Fury.—Description of the Animal.—Food of the Grizzly.—The Black Bear or Musquaw.—Its General Description.—Bear Hunting.—Danger of the Sport.—Food of the Bear.—Its Fondness for Pigs.—Honey Its Special Delight.—The Cubs.—The Flesh of the Bear as Food.—"Bears' Grease."—Hibernation of the Bear.—Traps for the Bear.—The Dead Fall.—Pit-fall.—Giant Coop.—Gun Trap.—The Steel Trap.—The Clog and Grappling-Iron.—Their Advantages.—How to Trap the Bear.—Various Methods of Adjusting Traps.—Natural Advantages.—Honey as Bait.—Other Baits.—Scent Baits.—Skinning the Bear.—Directions for Stretching the Pelt.—THE RACCOON.—Classification—Cunning and Stealth of the Animal.—Characteristic Features.—The "Coon Chase."—How the Raccoon is Hunted.—The "Tree'd Coon."—Varied Accomplishments of the Raccoon.—Its Home and Family.—The "Coon" as a Pet.—Its Cunning Ways.—Its Extensive Bill of Fare.—Life and Habits of the Raccoon.—Remarkable Imprint of its Paw.—Season for Trapping the Coon.—How to Trap the Coon.—Various Modes of Setting the Trap.—Use of the "medicines" or "Scent Baits."—Other Traps for the Animal.—Directions for Removing the Skin, and Stretching the Pelt.—THE BADGER.—Its Peculiar Markings.—Use of the Hair.—Nest of the Badger.—Number of Young.—Food of the Animal.—Its Remarkable