asily and quickly formed. After ten or a dozen
sets have been laid in place, the arm should be introduced into
the opening at the top, and the four cords drawn out, letting each
one lay along its inside corner of the pyramid. Taking the strings
loosely in the left hand and having the twigs in readiness, proceed
to build up the sides until the opening at the top is reduced to
only four or five inches across. The square board will now come
into play. Pass the ends of the cords through the hole in its centre
and rest the edge of the board on the top pair of sticks, taking
care that it is the tip of the grain of the wood instead of its
side, as otherwise it would be likely to crack from the pressure
that is about to be brought upon it. Have ready a stout peg of
hard wood, and laying it over the hole in the board, and between
the strings, proceed to tie the latter as tightly as possible over
it. By now turning the peg, the cords will be twisted and tightened
and the various pieces of the coops will be drawn together with
great firmness, in which state they may be secured by the aid of
a tack driven in the top board against the end of the peg as shown
at (_b_). Thus we have a neat and serviceable coop, which will
last for many seasons. To _set_ the affair it is necessary to cut
three sticks of the shapes shown in our illustration. The prop
piece is a slender forked twig about ten inches in length from
the tip to the base of the crotch. The spindle is another hooked
twig of the same length: the bait piece is quite similar to the
latter, only an inch shorter and supplied with a square notch at
the tip. It is also slightly whittled off on the upper side to
receive the square of pasteboard or tin, which is to hold the bait
and which may be easily fastened in place by a tack. All of these
twigs may be easily found in any thicket by a little practice in
searching. In setting the trap, it is only necessary to raise up
one side of the coop to the height of the prop stick, insert the
[Page 70]
short arm of the spindle through the fork and beneath the edge of
the coop. While holding it thus in position, hook the crotch of the
bait stick around the lower piece at the back of the coop, and
pushing the end of the spindle inside the coop, catch it in the notch
of the bait stick where it will hold, and the trap is ready to be
baited. The bait may consist of oats, wheat, "nannie berries" or the
like, and should be strewn both on the platfor