catch piece, the wire noose should be attached and arranged in a
circle directly around the bait. By now backing up the trap with
a few sticks to prevent the bait from being approached from behind,
the thing is complete, and woe to the misguided creature that dares
to test its efficacy. By adjusting the drawstring so far as the
upper end of the catch piece, the leverage on the bait stick is
so slight as to require a mere touch to overcome it; and we may
safely say that, when this trap is once baited, it will stay baited,
so far as animal intruders are concerned, as we never yet have
seen a rabbit or bird skilful enough to remove the tempting morsel
before being summarily dealt with by the noose on guard duty.

For portability, however, the following has no equal.


THE "SIMPLEST" SNARE.

This is one of the most ingenious and effective devices used in
the art of trapping; and the principle is so simple and universal
in its application to traps in general as to become a matter of
great value to all who are at all interested in the subject. There
is scarcely a trap of any kind which could not be set with the
knotted string and bait stick, at the expense of a little thought
and ingenuity. The principle is easily understood by a look at
our engraving, which probably represents the _simplest_ twitch-up
it is possible to construct. A stout wooden peg, having a hole the
size of a lead pencil near the top, is driven firmly into the
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ground. The "knot" is made on the end of the raw-string, and passed
through the hole in the peg from behind, being secured in place