RABBITS.
The Wellhouse rabbit trap, of which we here give description and illustrations, is one used by President Wellhouse. He has 3000 of them, distributed two per acre, and says it is the result of thirty years' experience. He uses nothing else to protect his trees. [Figure 25] is a longitudinal section of the trap. [Figure 26] is a front-end view of the trap, on a scale three times that of [fig. 25], and shows the details of the door. The trap consists of a box made of fence boards (old ones preferred) six inches wide and one inch thick. The boards are cut twenty-two inches long, and the top and bottom boards are nailed onto the side boards, thus making the opening four inches wide and six inches high. The door, a, is made of wire, shaped as shown in [fig. 26], and hung to under side of the top board with two staples, shown at dd. The trigger, b, is of wire, bent as in [fig. 25], spread out, or with a loop or figure 8, at the hanging end, and is fastened loosely along the center on the under side of the top board with two staples.
To operate the trap, push the door, a, inward, and with the forefinger catch the hooked end of the trigger, g, and pull it forward until the door rests on the wire above the hook at g. The rabbit enters the trap, prompted by curiosity or otherwise, and by so doing pushes the trigger, c, back as he would a little brush in a hollow log, without any suspicion or alarm. This action loosens the door, which falls behind him, its lower edge resting against the shoulder at f, and bunny is then caught. This trap was invented by Walter Wellhouse, but it is not patented. He uses no bait. The trap cannot be sprung by birds or wind. If new lumber is used, it must be stained some dark color, using material not offensive to a rabbit's delicate sense of smell.