News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-06-08

and these animals see perfectly, not
withstanding the notion of their being
blind-it knows things are not as it left
them, and will shy the trap, even COM
ing out upon the surface, and SO pass
ing it. If unsuspicious, however, in
its ramblirgs along the "run," it will
jab its snout against the obstructing
plate, spring the trigger, and get
caught between the grippers, losing its
life on the instant.
For the sake of cheapness, the traps
are made of common cast-iron, all save
the springs; since the professional
mole catcher needs goodly number of
them. The price is six-pence each,
though in past times they cost much
more, and then Talparius employed
wooden trap of his own construction,
the well known sort having for spring
power the rebound of bent sapling.
Some of these are still in use; and it is
no uncommon sight while passing along
the roads to see in field or meadow ad-
jacent the little slate colored quadruped
hoisted high in the air and swinging at
the extremity of bow-like rod.
There is still another mode of taking
Talpa-the box-trap, which is a square
or oblong box sunk into the earth,
across the run, the ground having been
followed out for it. A piece of board
arranged on balance hinges inside the
box, and on a level with the bottom of
the run, carries the passage over as by
bridge. Rather should 1 say, seems
to do so; for when the mole, attempting
it, reaches a certain point, its weight
sends the swing bridge down, and it is
itself percipitated to the bottom of the
box, out of which it cannot climb.
This elaborate structure is only used |
in the 'main runs"-not those tenn.
porarily traversed in pursuit of worms
where many moles are expected to come
along and tumble into it. And often
many do the box sometimes, when left
ong unvisited, being found nearly full
Generally, too, most of them are dead,
md partially eaten up those that sur
vive having been guilty of cannibalisml
For the mole, apparently a gentle, in
nocent creature, is the very reverse
fierce as tiger and voracieus as wolf or
hyena. Partly for this reason the box
trap is only occasionally used, and then
rather clandestinely there being SEN
timent against it on the score of cruelty.
l need not say that the professional
mole catcher traps the mole neither for
the sport of the thing nor on his own
account. There would be no profit
thereby since no use whatever is made
of the trapped animals Even the skins,
than which there are few others afford
ing prettier fur, or better for warmth,
are thoughtlessly thrown away; only
now and then some individual of peculiar
tastes being seen wearing waistcoat of
them.
Tdlparius, however, unless specially
employed to collect and preserve them,
invariably lets them go to naught,
or rather hands all over, body, bones
and skin, to those for whom he has done
the trapping. They are his bounty
warrants, and their ultimate destination
is to swing on the branches of tree, or
get nailed up against the gable end of a
barn, in companionship with crows,
magpies and other vermin." The |
mole catcher's work is done by special
contract, his engagement being with
farmers, country gentlemen and others
occupying land. His scale of remunera-
ton in most parts of the country is
,threepence per head; but if "garden
mole" he charges double. There is no
difference in the species of the animal
"garden mole being simply one that
has taken to haunting the kitchen or
flower garden, where from the nature
of the ground it is more difficult to coax
them into trap. This at least is the
mole-catcher's alleged reason for
demanding double pay.
On farms where moles are not so
plenteous as to be pest, and even on
some where they are, the services of the
professional Talparius are dispensed |
with, the farmer either doing the work |
of determination for himself, or having
it done by one of his ordinary laborers.
There is little skill required; only set
ting the traps, and seeing to their being
cleared and reset whenever O capture
has been made. Moles are caught at all
times of the year; though mostly in the
winter. But the real harvest of the pro-
fessional mole-catcher is in March-the
rutt1ng season of the animals. Then he
sets his traps on the main or permanent
runs, along which the males, in pur-
suit of the females, or battling between
themselves, are constantly going and
coming and so are quickly and easily
caught.
Another of England's odd rural in
dustries, which gives occasional en-
ployment to q few is that of the rat
catcher. 1t might be supposed that he
and the moie-catcber would be one and
the same individual. But it is not SO,
or very rarely; the men as a rule hold
ing separate existences and leading diff
ferent sorts of life; in short, differing
in character, ways and habits as much
as in their meters, or more.
AS already said, the mole catcher is
usually of mature age, and may add,
though not as a consequence, also of
subdued, sober demeanor while the
professional killer of rats is a keeper
and owner of ferrets, which he occa-
sionally employs in rabbiting on his
own account, though not on his own
land-in short, is a bit of poacher.
Leaving his poaching to one side, how
ever, his legitimate business, is, as with
the mole catcher, matter of contract.