The gentlemans recreation in two parts : the first being an encyclopedy of the arts and sciences ... the second part treats of horsmanship, hawking, hunting, fowling, fishing, and agriculture : with a short treatise of cock-fighting ... : all which are collected from the most authentick authors, and the many gross errors therein corrected, with great enlargements ... : and for the better explanation thereof, great variety of useful sculptures, as nets, traps, engines, &c. are added for the taking of beasts, fowl and fish : not hitherto published by any : the whole illustrated with about an hundred ornamental and useful sculptures engraven in copper, relating to the several subjects.

CHAP. XXII.

Directions for taking Polecats, Fich∣ets, Martins, or Marterns, and the like Vermin that are in∣jurious to Warrens, Dovehouses, or Henroosts.

THese Creatures are found very offensive to such places as they frequent, as Warrens, Dovehouses, and Henroosts, not only destroying the Young, but oft times devouring the Egs.

They are great Encreasers, and if care be not taken to destroy them, they will do great and many mischiefs. Here followeth a devise to take them by Night, for they are not often seen by day, but do either lye close in their Holes, or in some concealed places as amongst Stones, un∣der Logs, and sometimes on thick Boughs of Trees.

'Tis good that a Warrener do sometimes look about in such like places with a Gun to shoot them, and not altogether to trust to his Box, or Chest-Traps, which are here represented unto you in these Figures. The first being with a single, and the latter with a double Entrance.

[illustration]

I shall shew you how to make and use these Traps. Take three pieces of Oak, or Elm Boards of an equal bigness, like that which is in the first Figure, and marked with ABCD; let them be four foot long, and one over, and about an Inch thick; nail them together just like a Coffin, and close up one end with a piece of the same Boards, which must be nailed fast on, as ACEF. Likewise nail over three main Boards, another piece, as AFGH, which must be as large as a∣ny of the rest, but not so long by two parts in three; and for the rest of the covering you must have another piece of the same sort of Boards. On the other side of the Boards make a Hole with a Gimler at the places marked GH, where fasten two Nails, which may be driven into the Board

that lies on the top, so as to serve for Sockets, or for your better comprehension as the Axletree of a Coach, so that the Board may be easily lifted up, and let down; and at the other and ••K, nail another piece of Timber just equal to that marked with AFGH, which must only be fast∣ned to the upper Board in such manner, that be∣ing let down, the whole may seem to be some Chest close shut.

Then get two pieces of Wood as LMPQ, two [ 10] Foot long, an Inch and an half thick, and pier∣ced at the ends LM, with a Hole big enough to turn ones little Finger therein; then nail them on your two side Boards about the middle of them, just opposite to each other, with a piece of Wood an Inch Square, shaped at both ends like an Axletree, which put easily into the two Holes LM; At the middle O of this said Axle∣tree frame a Mortice, or hole to fasten and tye a Stick ON, which may fall down upon the move∣ing [ 20] Plank, when it is let down; and this is inten∣ded to prevent any Beast from lifting up the Co∣ver, when once it is down.

Before you nail all the Boards together, make a hole in that plank marked ABCD, at the place marked vx, which hole should be two Inches long, and half an Inch over, just opposite there∣unto; and in the other Plank bore a little hole with a Gimler as at R, that you may put in a small Cord there, at the end of which tye your [ 30] Tricker RST, made of a Stick as big as ones little Finger, which though fastned at the end R, may however have liberty enough to move up and down, and must pass through the Hole V, a∣bout two Inches out, with a Notch or two as T: about the end of it tye your Bait on this Trick∣er within the Chest-Trap, which ought to be appro∣priated to the Nature of the Beast or Vermin you intend to take. For a Polecat or Fitchet use a Chicken, for a Weesil or Martin, Egs, and for a House-Cat some small Birds, or a Pigeon. [ 40]

For the setting this Trap, you must have a strong Cord fastned upon the moving Plank, near the middle of it marked Y towards the end; at the other end of the said Cord tye a small Stick marked V, an Inch and an half long, and half as big as ones Finger; formed at one end like a Wedge, so that the Trap being lifted up about half a Foot, as you see it represented in the Fi∣gure; and the Cord being passed over the Axle∣tree ZO, the little Stick may have one end in the [ 50] Notch T of your Tricker, and the other end in the Hole X, and then is your Trap or Engine right as it should be.

If your Tricker be but a quarter of an Inch clear from the bottom Plank, when any Vermin is once in, and gives but one touch to the Bait, which is on the Tricker, that gives away, and down falls your moving Plank, with the Dore fast shut.

The other Trap with the double Entrance, is [ 60] much the best, by reason that the Vrmin you in∣tend to take, may see through it to behold the Prey, and come in at which side they please, and therefore will sooner venture in.

It is formed much after the same manner with the former, only it hath two turning Planks, and falling Doors, and the Tricker ought to be in the middle at Z. I need not give you further Directions therein, seeing you can't miss the hit∣ting this latter, if you have truly comprehended the former, it requiring nothing more than dou∣bling the Instructions for the Trap-Doors, the Sockets, Cords and the like. Besides every War∣rener can either make them, or shew you them ready made, if in case you can't make one by these Directions.