mind, and easily explain its working to those
not particularly acquainted with it. These traps may be made of any
size, but, being usually employed in catching rabbits, require to
be made quite large. They should be made of hard seasoned wood--oak
or chestnut is the best--and of slabs about an inch in thickness.
The pieces may be of the following dimensions: let the bottom board
be 20+7 in.; side board, 20+9 in.; lid board 19+7 in., and the
end piece of lid 7 in. square.

The tall end piece should be about 16 inches high by 7 broad. Let
this be sharpened on the upper end, as seen in the engraving, and
furnished with a slight groove on the summit, for the reception
of the cord. Now to put the pieces together.

Nail the two sides to the edge of the bottom board, and fit in
between them the high end piece, securing that also, with nails
through the bottom and side boards. Next nail the lid board on
to the small, square end piece, and fit the lid thus made neatly
into its place.

To make the hinge for the lid, two small holes should be bored
through the sides of the trap, about four inches from the tall end,
and half an inch from the upper edge of each board. Let
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small nails now be driven through these holes into the edge of the
lid, and it will be found to work freely upon them.

[Illustration]

The principal part of the trap is now made, but what remains to be
done is of great importance. The "spindle" is a necessary feature
in nearly all traps, and the box-trap is useless without it. In
this case it should consist merely of a round stick of about the
thickness of a lead pencil, and we will say, 7 or 8 in. in length.
One end should be pointed and the other should have a small notch
cut in it, as seen in the separate drawing of the stick. The spindle
being ready, we must have some place to put it. Another hole should
be bored through the middle of the high end piece, and about 4 in.
from the bottom. This hole should be large enough to allow the
spindle to pass easily through it. If our directions have been
carefully followed, the result will now show a complete, closefitting
trap.

In setting the trap there are two methods commonly employed, as
shown at _a_ and _b_. The string, in either case, must be fastened
to the end of the lid.

In the first instance (_a_) the lid is raised and made fast by the
brace, holding itself beneath the tip of the projecting spindle,
and a nail or plug driven into the w