The times., 1901-03-10
THE SCIENCE OF TRAPPING
The Art Of Luring Wild Animals
to Their Doom.
The Importance of the Trap-Prof.
Mason Describes Some Ancient and
Primitive Forms of the Snare.
An Index of Inventive Ingenuity.

Geological science has, within the past
few years, turned trapper and as a result
several hundred new species of animals
have been discovered which would prob
ably never have been recognized had it
not been for the improved methods for
catching them.
This fact is acknowledged by the scient-
lists of the Smithsonian Institution. one
of these gentlemen, pointing TO a large
pile of closely packed cards on his desk,
explained to the reporter:
Look there, each one of those slips Of
paper represents new species of NAM
NAL. and all these have been discovered
within the past three or four years. Such
a great record is made possible by the in
creased perfection Of trapping, which en-
ables us to get hold of animals of noctur-
nal and sly habits, and a great proportion
of mammals is of this kind"
Prof. Otis T. Mason. head of the anthro-
biological department Of the Institution,
has recently devoted much investigation
10 the history OF the trap upon the Amer
lean continent from the days of the alb
original inhabitants.
a trap says Prof. Mason. lis an in
vention for the purpose of inducing ami
mails to commit incarceration, self-arrest,
or suicide. In the simplest trap the au-
tomatsm is solely on the part of the ami
NAL but in the highest forms automatic
action of the most delicate sort is seen in
the traps themselves, involving the har-
Messing Of some natural force, current,
weight, spring, and so on, TO do mans
work
The climax Of invention in any direc-
ton" continues Prof. Mason, lis auto
matte action The trap, indeed, teaches
the whole lesson of invention. At first,
it is something that the animal unwilling
~ treadS upon middle Low German,
treppen, TO tread; tramp is similar
word in its tramps, and walks or falls in
to durance. At last ii is a combination OF
movement and obstruction, of release and
execution, which YIeS IN dellcacy with the
most distinctive weapons. Gravity and
elasticity are hdrneSSed by ingenious me
chanical combinations. 1t is possible to
each class. which in the Patent Office,
would be called inventions. To follow
these in saVagery and barbarism, before
there were mOnopOlieS and patents, is an
interesting contribution TO the history OF
empiriCtSm.
Prof. Mason classifes traps into three
groups namely, (a) incloslnS, (b) arrest
ing. (c) killing. Enclosing traps, says
the professor. are those which imprisOn
the victim, most of them without doing
any further bodily harm, though there
may be added to these some other devices
which will iniure or kill. There are four
kinds of enclosing traps pen-traps, cage
traps, pit-traps door-traps' In the
course of a learned and interesting dis
quisition upon the history ana uses OF
these primitive traps, Prof. Mason said:
Among the EskimOs unique contrlV-
ance for catching foxes was net Hhlch
was made to be set around burroW.
Stakes were driven into the snow to sup
port the net, which was about fiVe feet
high: in the corners were long pockets
opening wide into the net but gradually
contracting until the fox could go no fur-
ther; endeavoring TO turn back, it became
hopeIessly entangled and died of fright
and cold The Concow Indians of Cali
foria are said to catch grasshoppers for
food by driving them into pits. Crantz
describes "A house-trap used by the Green
landers in which a broad stone forms the
movable door. | have seen a trap of sim
liar mechanism. used by folk in eastern
United States, in which a cage or basket
is Dropped up with a loop of sprint; this,
pulled inside by the animal tugging at
the bait, brings down the cage upon the
victim Doubtless this form of innpriSOn
ing animals designed TO be taken alive
was quite well spread over the continent
"Arresting traps are designed 10 seize
the victim by the neck, or gills. or feet,
resulting in death, but not killing II out
right The mesh net. for instance, is
based on the fact that birds. beasts, ana
fishes BY the conformation of their bed
les or by the set Of the hair feathers,
or gills. may ratchet themselves: that
is, they can move In one direction into
the net, but cannot withdraw themselves.