The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-27

! bait being pulled below the line of fire
before the string was drawn sufficiept
" tight to discharge the gun Both
| these devices exhibited a wonderful
degree of what may fairly be called
/ reasoning power. DR.. Rae says that
in that part of the world traps are
never set with strings, so that there
can have been no special association
| in the foxes minds between strings
and traps. Moreover, after the death
| of fox No. l, the track on the snow
showed that fox No. 2, Notwithstanding
the temptation offered by the bait, had
expended great deal of scientific OBJ
servation on the gun before he under
| took to sever the cord. With regard
| to burrowing at right angles, the fact
was observed a sufficient number OF
times to show that the direction OF
| the burrowing was really to be at
| tributed to thought, and not to chance.
An ingenious method of poaching
without risk was carried an by
poacher through the agency of his
| dog, for a long time before it was dis
| covered. The animal was a rather
understood spaniel, and was trained
by his master to set an iron trap by
the pressure of it's foot. When this
| trap had been placed in part of the
run" where the gamekeeper was not
| likely to perceive it, by the poacher.
| the dog carefully noted the spot; and
at dawn every morning, just when the
night watchers were on their way home,
and before the head keeper had come
out for his morning walk. he visited
each trap in succession, taking out the
game where there was any in way
that effectually prevented its making
further noise. The act of releasing
the captive pheasant or hare, set the
trap afresh and at dusk he made a
similar round, though he seldom
brought anything home on these occa-
SiOnS.
The manner in which the discovery
was made of this system of poaching
by deputy was through the habit of
early rising practiced by a Captain
Palmer, who lived on the outskirts of
one of the woods visited by the SPAN
iel Walking through some low furZe
bushes his attention was attracted TO
hare by its cries; it was evidently
caught In a trap, or was attacked by
weasel, or sloat, or some animal of
that species. He was pushing his way
between the bushes in the direction
whence the sounds issued, and had
just caught sight of the hare when
spaniel rushed in upon il from another
direction, seized it by the back of the
neck, and, putting his paw on the
spring of the trap, released the hare
and started off with it at rate which
made pursuit hopeless.
The captain was so struck with the
proceeding that instead of telling the
keeper, and probably causing the dog
to be shot, he contented himself with
carrying away the trap and making in
quiries as to the owner of the spaniel.
Having discovered that it belonged to n
man who supplied him with fish and
many kinds of vegetables before they
could be got from his own garden, he
induced him to acknowledge sthe fact
that the dog wasssn the habit of visit
ing the traps in the way described, and
obtaining from him a promise to dis
continue the practice on condition that
the captain did not inform against
him.
Rats frequently display much inge-
nuity. One trap which was baited for
rodents was habitually plundered with
out a single rat being secured. The
animals had invented a plan for safely
stealing away the bait. and what it
was could only be learned by setting
watch on the trap. Here is how the
theft was effected: The trap was of
the kind sometimes employed in catch
ing mice. 1t was box with a sliding
door, which was sustained by mechan-
ism connected with the bait. On the
bait being nibbled at, the door de-
sends and make the mouse a prisoner
Ine TWO rats saw through the device
and resorted to the following very
simple but effectual method to take
away the bait, which was a piece of
toasted cheese, and yet escape impris-
Onment. One of them placed itself I'M
der the door so that it might fall on
its back, while the other crept in and
carried of the morsel of cheese. The
first rat then drew itself from under the
door and joined its companion.
A lady who has some ported plants,
geraniums. ferns, violets and ivy for
window garden, gives this incident: In
lieu of somethin- better, I have been
using a rather small-necked five-ounce