The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-02

entrances 80 cunninRly devised that the win
mer which enters with perfect ease cannot get
out at all. This Is done by surrounding the
entrance with spikes which run inward until
their inner eads describe a circle OF not more
than three inches In diameter. Through this
circle the fish enters. but he will never and his
way out OF IL. Black bass are taken In this
way. blue cats. white perch and google eyes.
The Rars nre never small enough to enter and
the other fin wearers are too small to be held.
Sometimes Stonewall will keep n half dozen
bass imprisoned for q month, visiting them
from day TO day. taking all OF an owners pride
In them. finally releasing them after a minute
study Of their habits in captivity.
As he Is the only being in this part Of Ar
kansas who makes a business OF trapping OF
tiers. he has no fear that tle.supply will run
out. He takes on an average four q month. but
in.June. July and August he does not capture
them at all. as the fur at that season is at Its
poorest. This amphiblan. in proportion to size.
Is one Of the strongest Of known animals and
II Is when reused as fierce as a bulldog. 1t Is
cunning. possesses a highly developed nostrll
and will instantly detect the odor OF a mans
hand / IL he has been careless in fixing the bait.
For this reason Stonewall for years past has
been cutting up his fish bait with a bone knife
and fixing 1t in the trap while wearing old rub
Der gloves. 1t took him a long time and
months OF wasted work to find this out. The
diet OF the otter is exclusively fish. and its agil-
ity In the water is remarkable. 1t cannot
catch n black bass when has had warning OF
its approach. but It can catch a white perch.
more especially as its scent and vision are SO
keen that it never loses track OF its prey and
is endurance far surpasses that Of its quarry.
ftonewali estimates that the otter is even more
destructive of fish life than the gar. The
beast will average.nfteen pounds. and ID keep
this amount OF material running not less than
three pounds daily OF food is required. II an
average man ate in this ratio he would con-
sumo thirty pounds a day.
This hermit s%quatter in the woods uses the
ordinary steel spring tran. which has a plate IN
the centre. to which the bait is fastened and
pressure upon which releases the springs.
This form OF snare is used In Arkansas upon
pretty much every wild thing whose CAPTURE
is desired. 1t varies only In size. the larger
being devoted to bears and the smaller to foxes
and similar archaeological animals. The
kind used BY Stonewall for offers requires the
expenditure of considerable muscular strength
to set it. 1t has q piece OF fresh fish fastened
to 1t. fs buried near the bank three inches
under the water and is fastened by a log chain
to an immovable root. The otter can live
under the water for an unknown length OF
time. When taken from The traps. however.
they are generally dead. Stonewall says that.
realizing their inability to escape. they drown
themselves. The trap which holds them would
also hold a man. but sometimes they tear it
loose from its moorings and drag It away.
What becomes Of them afterward no one
knows. Probably they become entangIed and
perish missrably.
The coon trap. which is also a plate trap. is
set on the edge Ct the water and covered with
d~rlftwood or leaves. 1t is baitcd preferably
with crayfsh. of which the coon is passionately
fond. Mussels. a fresh water bivalve. of taste
between an old oyster aud n very bad clam.
are also a tidbit. Excited by the mussel smell
the coons lose much OF their caution and are
easily entrapped. Stonewall asserts the truth
of the statement that. in order to achieve free
dom, when held by a ~foreioot the animal will
gnaw of the foot at the first Joint and hobble
away on three legs. He has a half dozen feet
which he adduces in evidence. 1t does not
occur to him that feet which he had hacked
Off with a bowie would present the same ap-
pearance and be as good proof.