puzzle the reader has been specially covered by separate illustration. In this particular it stands unique in the list of boys' books. Every difficulty has been anticipated, and in every instance the illustrations will be found thoroughly comprehensive and complete. That the care and thoroughness which has been displayed throughout the work, and to which its pages will bear witness, may meet with the appreciation and enthusiastic approval of every boy-reader throughout the land, is the most earnest hope of

THE AUTHOR.

BOOK I.

TRAPS FOR LARGE GAME.

Introduction.—THE DEAD FALL.—Honey as Bait for Bears.—THE GUN TRAP.—Peculiar Habits of the Puma.—"Baiting" for the Puma.—Caution required in Setting the Gun Trap.—Several Guns used.—Different Modes of Setting.—Various animals to which the Gun Trap is adapted.—THE BOW TRAP.—Vane and Barb for Arrows.—Best Wood for Bow.—A Second Example of Bow Trap.—Arrows Barbed and Poisoned.—THE DOWN FALL; or Hippopotamus Trap.—The terrible Harpoon used by the African Trapper.—Different Modes of Setting the Down Fall.—Modification of the Down Fall for small animals.—THE BEAR TRAP.—Various Methods of Setting.—Honey as Bait for Bear.—Bait for Puma.—THE PITFALL.—Use of the Trap in Asia as a means of defence against the Tiger.—Disposition of the Bait.—Wonderful agility of the Puma.—Niceties required in the construction of the Pitfall.—THE LOG COOP TRAP.—Various animals for which it is adapted.—Different Modes of Setting.—THE CORRALL OR HOPO of Africa.—Its Construction and Appalling Effects.—THE NET TRAP.—Its Use in the Capture of the Lion and the Tiger.—American animals to which it may be adapted.—Two Methods of Setting.—BIRD LIME.—Its Use for the Capture of the Lion and Tiger.

BOOK II.

SNARES OR NOOSE TRAPS.

General Remarks.—Requisite Materials for Snaring.—THE QUAIL SNARE.—"Sucker Wire" Nooses.—Six Quail caught at a time.—HOOP NOOSES.—HORSE HAIR NOOSES.—HEDGE NOOSES.—Peculiarities of the Grouse.—Selection of Ground.—THE TRIANGLE TREE SNARE.—A Hawk captured by the device.—The Wire Noose, as arranged for the capture of the Woodchuck, Muskrat, and House Rat.—THE TWITCH-UP.—Selection of Ground for Setting.—Various Modes of Constructing the Traps.—THE POACHERS' SNARE.—Its portability.—THE PORTABLE SNARE.—Its Peculiar Advantages.—The "Simplest" Snare.—The valuable principle on which it is Constructed.—Its Portability.—Various Adaptations of the Principle.—THE QUAIL SNARE.—Its ample capabilities of Capture.—Peculiarities of the Quail.—Successful Baits.—THE BOX SNARE.—Modification in a very small scale.—THE DOUBLE BOX SNARE.—The Animals for which it is Adapted.—GROUND SNARES.—THE OLD-FASHIONED SPINGLE.—THE IMPROVED SPINGLE.—Objections to Ground Snares.—THE FIGURE FOUR GROUND SNARE.—THE PLATFORM SNARE.

BOOK III.

TRAPS FOR FEATHERED GAME.

THE SIEVE TRAP.—THE BRICK TRAP.—THE COOP TRAP—Improved Method of Setting.—Defects of the old style.—THE BAT FOWLING NET.—Its Use in England.—How the Dark Lantern is Used by Bird Catchers.—THE CLAP NET.—Its Extensive Use in Foreign Countries.—Decoy Birds.—The "Bird Whistle" used in place of decoy.—Wonderful Skill attained in the Use of the Bird Whistle.—Selection of Trapping Ground.—THE BIRD WHISTLE Described.—Its Use and Marvelous Capabilities.—THE WILD GOOSE TRAP.—Its Extensive Use in the Northern Cold Regions for the Capture of the Goose and Ptarmigan.—Tame Goose Used as Decoys.—Gravel as Bait.—THE TRAP CAGE.—A Favorite Trap among Bird Catchers.—Call Birds.—THE SPRING NET TRAP.—Rubber Elastic as Spring Power.—A SIMPLER NET TRAP.—Common Faults in many Bird Traps.—Complicated Construction as Unnecessary Feature.—Requisites of a good Bird Trap.—Hints on Simple Mechanism.—Different Modes of Constructing Hinge.—Hoop Iron Used as Spring Power.—Manner of Tempering Spring.—THE UPRIGHT NET TRAP.—A Second Method of Constructing Platform.—THE BOX OWL TRAP.—Ventilation a Desirable Feature in all Box Traps.—Tin Catch for Securing Cover in Place.—Peculiar Mode of Baiting for Birds.—Modification of Perch.—Baiting for the Owl.—Locality for Setting.—The Owl in Captivity.—Its Food.—Hints on the Care of the Bird.—THE BOX BIRD TRAP.—Cigar Box Used as a Trap.—THE PENDANT BOX TRAP.—Ventilation.—Simple Mechanism.—Care in Construction of Bearings.—THE HAWK TRAP.—A "Yankee" Invention.—Stiff-Pointed Wires Effectually Use in the Capture of the Hawk.—Owl also Captured by the Same Device.—THE WILD DUCK NET.—Its Use in Chesapeake Bay.—Manner of Constructing the Net.—Decoy Ducks.—Bait for the Ducks.—THE HOOK TRAP.—Its cruel Mode of Capture.—Peculiar Bait for Ducks.—THE "FOOL'S CAP" TRAP.—Its Successful Use in the Capture of the Crow.—Shrewdness of the Crow.—Strange antics of a Crow when Captured in the Trap.—Bird Lime the Secret of its Success.—Wonderful Tenacity of the Cap.—Different Modes of Setting.—BIRD LIME Described.—Its astonishing "Sticky" Qualities.—The Bird Lime of the Trade.—Various "Home-Made" Recipes.—Manner of Using Bird Lime.—Limed Twigs.—The Owl Used as a Decoy in connection with Bird Lime.—Bird Lime used in the Capture of the Humming Bird.—A Flower Converted into a Trap.—Masticated Wheat as Bird Lime.—Its Ready Removal from the Feathers.—Delicate Organization of the Humming Bird.—Killed by Fright.—Use of its Plumage.—Snares for the Humming Bird.—Blow Guns Successfully Used for its Capture.—Killed by Concussion.—Disabled by a Stream of Water.

BOOK IV.

MISCELLANEOUS TRAPS.

THE COMMON BOX TRAP.—Two Modes of Setting.—Animals for which it is Adapted.—A Modification of the Trap.—ANOTHER BOX TRAP.—THE FIGURE FOUR TRAP.—Its Advantages.—THE DOUBLE ENDER.—A Favorite Trap in New England.—Simplicity of Construction.—The Rabbit's Fondness for Salt.—Its Use as a Bait.—THE SELF SETTING TRAP.—Animals for which it is adapted.—THE DEAD FALL.—Various Methods of Construction.—Animals for which it is usually Set.—Remarkable Cunning of some Animals.—The Precautions which it Necessitates.—Bait for the Muskrat.—Various Baits for the Mink.—Skunk Baits.—A Fox Entrapped by a Dead Fall.—Slight Modification in the Arrangement of Pieces.—Live Duck used as Bait.—Another Arrangement for the Dead Fall.—Trap Sprung by the Foot of the Animal.—THE FIGURE FOUR TRAP.—Applied to the Dead Fall.—THE GAROTTE.—Its Singular Mode of Capture.—Its Common Victims.—THE BOW TRAP.—An oddity of the Trap Kind.—Its Singular