THE BOX OWL TRAP.

The use of a box trap for the capture of an owl is certainly an
odd idea, but we nevertheless illustrate a contrivance which has
been successfully used for that purpose.

The box in this case should be of the proportions shown in our
engraving, and well ventilated with holes, as indicated. (This
ventilation is, by-the-way, a good feature to introduce in _all_
traps.) Having made or selected a suitable box--say, fourteen or
more inches wide, provided with a cover, working on a hinge--proceed
to fasten on the outside of the lid a loop of stiff wire, bent in
the shape shown at (_e_). This may be fastened to the cover by
means of small staples, or even tacks, and should project over
the edge about two inches. When this is done, the lid should be
raised to the angle shown in our illustration, and the spot where
the end of the wire loop touches the back of the box should be
marked and a slit cut through the wood at this place, large enough
for the angle of the loop to pass through. Two elastics should
now be fastened to the inside of the box, being secured to the
bottom at the side, and the other to the edge of the cover, as
seen in the illustration. They should be sufficiently strong to
draw down the cover quickly. The perch, or spindle, should consist
of a light stick of wood, as shown at (_b_,) one end provided with
a slight notch, and the other fastened to the inside of the front
of the box by a string or leather hinge, (_c_,) keeping the notch on
the _upper_ side of the stick. It will be now seen that by opening
the cover, until the loop enters through the groove, and by then
hooking the notch in the spindle _under_ the loop as seen at (_a_)
the trap will be set, and if properly done it will be found that a
very slight weight on the spindle will set it free from the loop
and let the cover down with swiftness.

To secure the cover in place a small tin catch should now be applied
to the front edge of the box, as shown in the illustration. A piece
of tin two inches in length by a half an inch in breadth will answer
for this purpose. One end should be bent
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down half an inch at a pretty sharp angle, and the other attached
by two tacks, to the edge of the box, in the position shown in
the cut. This precaution will effectually prevent the escape of
whatever bird, large or small, the trap may chance to secure. It
is a necessary feature of the trap, as without it the elastics
might be torn asu