vpward then shall ye haue betwéene the latch and the lidger a small round sticke tyde at the hinder end with a string and passing thorow the foremost rigall and at the ende thereof must be two or thrée small holes or nickes made for the pinne that must holde vp the latch with the clogge and so soone as that sticke or bridge is put downe the latch with the clogge falles ye must bush aboue the latch for any thing leaping ouer whereas ye sée it poudered Your latch may be made halfe a yeard more wide This latch is to set against a banke or other hill side THis engine or latch is called a dogge latch almost like the other afore but that his two pillers or postes are set fast in the ground and there must be also a hole made within the latch on the inside of the banke or hill side where the latch must be set and therein yee may baite it with what baite ye will for a dogge or other Vermine Also vpon the vpper side of the latch there is notches made one by an other all ouer Then is there a barre in the toppe which runnes vpon a pinne and runnes into euery notch and holdes downe the latch so that the sayde latch cannot rise what soeuer be within it will holde him fast there be it dogge or other vermine there is also a weight hanging at the end of the latch to make it fall more quickly The latch trappe THis engine is called a latch or brake trappe it is made with foure thicke bordes or péeces of timber in length thrée quarters of a yeard or lesse ye may make them as ye shall thinke good eyther to sit still in the earth or often to be remoued But if ye will make them to remooue then must the vpper fallers be more heauier made These foure péeces must be pind at both ends and the two vpper bordes or fallers must lie within the two neather as ye may sée by example Then is there within those neather bordes a long bridge which must be tide at the neather ende of the catch with a string and that bridge hath foure holes at the other ende for a pinne to put therein to beare and holde vp the two fallers Which pinne is put into one of those holes of the saide bridge and the other ende of the pinne stayes vnder the great square pinne that is betwéene the fallers and the string that is tide to that pinne is tide aboue to a trounchin which trounchin lyeth on two forked stakes set in the ground as ye may sée by example by the neather part of the trappe Also the neather parts are rebated on the out side and made edge wise vpward and hedged on both sides as ye may sée And to fall toward the hedge is best The foote trappe THis engines is called Foxe trappe or foote trappe because it taketh all by the foote It is made with a thicke borde or planke of nine or ten inches broad And commonly a yeard and a halfe long with a hole made in the middle nearer the one end then the other Also the planke hath iiij holes at each end two to stake downe fast the planke to the earth that it be not pluckt vp then there is a poale set or trée bowed downe to the end of the planke and to the end thereof is tide a strong line which line must come vnder the ende of the planke and drawne out at the foote hole with a short strong clicket of wood tide thereunto with a short string which clicket must be set against the narrow place of the foote hole and the other ende in the nicke on the falling board which must stay against a short flat pinne of wood which must be set vnder the planke whereas ye sée two swmall prickes to holde vp the falling board and to that also is tide a strong lingell or other line which line is layd round about the hole of the foote bord or fall on the planke and couered all ouer with dust sande or earth for feare of suspition This trappe may be set against Fore holes or other muce with hedges on both sides the planke that he shall passe no other way but on the borde Also your falling bord must be broder vnder then your hole The Wolfes trappe The square borded and the poale pin in the top therof THis Engine is called a Wolfe trappe or pitte It is a large hole digged sixe foote square and two yeards commonly and a halfe wide from side to side and borded all round both bottome and sides vp to the toppe with a poale set fast in the middest thereof almost as hie as the toppe of the pitte Then is there a pinne of yrne put through the middest of a large platter of wood or such like and that pin set fast in the toppe of the sayde poale and there vpon it is layde and made fast some beastes liuer or such like or else a goose or ducke which is tide fast thereon Then towards night they make a traine vnto the trappe and they couer the saide pitte with hurdles bordes or such like round about sauing a space and they lay of gréene turfes thereon so that when the Wolfe or Fore doe come and finde the baite they can not reach it without they tread on the platter which plarter is set ticklish thereon and as soone as he treads on the side it tilts downe and rise vp againe and the Wolfe or other falles downe into the pitte and if other doe come they are serued the like Thus much for the Wolfe trappe For the Fore if he annoy them they will lay a péece of a shéepes liuer new at his hole and put therein closoly of the pouder of rats-bane which will so kill him Also the pouder of Aconitum called in Latin in English Wolfes bane the pouder put or strowed on flesh will kill them Touch them not with your bare handes for they will finde it and forsake it The kragge hooke THis Engine I call a dragge hooke because it is made like a dragge it is made of yeirne or great wiar and turnes on the Weuell like the weuell of a loggar or like on a gray-hound coller The husbandmen in France will hang them on branches of diuerse trées about their groundes to take the Foxe Wolfe or dogge if he take it but chiefely for the Foxe they vse to hang them so hie from the ground that a Foxe must leape at it before hee can catch it Which hookes are baired and couered with liuers of beastes or other flesh and when he catches the hooke in his mouth he cannot deliuer himselfe thereof but hangs and turnes about with the hooke in his mouth on the weuel and line and hereunto they make traines with some garbage against night as they commonly doe to other engins and by this engin they doe destroy many of their Foxes which otherwise would deuour many of their Lambes and poultrie For
make them in length as ye shall sée cause for the bredth of your bordes or plankes which must be somewhat heauie alwayes A Mill to take Mice THis engine or Mill is made of ij thin bords and thicker in the midst then at the ends The one halfe of the bredth is set in ioyned within the other halfe and boared with a percer thorough the midst and there is put thorow a great wyar or a smal pinne of wood as yée may sée and that pinne is put into a thicke bord of four inch bord which borde lyeth on some table or other borde from the ground halfe a yeard or as yée shall thinke good and set some panne or pot with water vnder your mill and baite your mill on both sides of each leafe with some butter mixt with otmele and sugar and set all other things away and so shall ye drowne thréescore or more perhaps in a night as I haue séene done if there be store Ye shall make your mill to turne very easely that the least weight thereon shall turne it Also set your Mill an inch from your square borde that the pinne is in and baite your borde with some otmeale to tice them to the mill Thus may yée soone destroy them if your house bée troubled with them neuer so much The square mouce trappe The mouce trap with a dish a filboll THis engine or square mouce trappe is made of two bordes with a hole boared thorough them both at the lower end and a pinne set set fast in the hole of the neather borde and comes thorow the vpper borde which vpper borde riseth and falleth thereon Then is there a string tide at the sayde pinne with a long bridge and a pinne on the vpper bord afore with a short string and a clicket tide thervnto to stay vp the vpper borde and so it is done This is a slight way and soone made for mice The other trappe is with a dish or bowle tylde vp with a silboll such as they make to fill puddings which is made with a thinne stice of wood or such like with a tayle of thrée inches long and thereon is the baite tyed The filboule his bowght is commonly one inch and more hie to holde vppe the dish that the mouce touch not the dish before she come to the baite Then when she stirs the baite the dish fals ouer the filboll and the filboll within and the mouse also Then ye may set a vessell of water and let the mouse fall therein And thus it is vsed and also quickly made To take the Buzard with three twigs limed THis engine is to take the Buzard in the spring of the yeare as in March and Aprill which is made thus with thrée small roddes growing on the end of some bough or thrée small twigs set on the end of a pretie bigge sticke and of a shastment long Ye must so place them that two twigges must lie alwayes on the ground and the other stand or lie ouer The sticke must haue a hole board in the end as ye may sée and therein to fasten the mouse taile or a thréede with a liue mouse tide vnto it Also the twigs must be finely layde with lyme and in a morning layde on the ground whereas ye shall sée any Buzard nie and as soone as ye are departed if she spie the mouse ye shall sée her come vnto it and so taken which is a verie good way to take them in the spring but at other times not so good Also the Buzard may well be taken in March and Aprill with setting thrée limerods and bayfed in a plaine with the liuer of a conny or such like The Moull trappe TO set this Moull trappe where any Moull hath cast ye shall first place two trestles ouer her casting then tread it downe with your foote softly so long and so broad as your fall is or more Then lay a poale crosse ouer your tresles and there on hang your trappe ouer the trench Then set a short stake with the bridge therein against the midst of your fall as ye may sée by the figure and set your stake so that the bridge end may lie and touch the earth all ouer in the trench crosse For when the Moull doth cast shée wil put vp that end of the bridge which do crosse the trench and the other end will fall on the clicket and so the trappe falles and the long nayles set at both endes of the fall kils her which way soeuer she comes or goes Your fall must be two foote long and foure inches broad and foure inches thicke for the heauier the better it is If it be too light yée may remedie it as ye thinke good Also yée may set your long nayles in a thencher or thinne borde and nayle that to your fall at both endes and let the next nayles on both sides be foure inches from the bridge Thus much for the moull trappe ye may thus kill them in gardens woodes high-wayes or where yee shall thinke good without anie watching of them The following trappe THis engine is called the following trappe for Mice it is made with two square bordes the bottome and the fall borde with edge bordes of an inch hie round about the neather borde and set with two wing bordes of each side one with a crosse lath ouer the middest to tye the string of the clicket Which string comes downe to the bridge plast with a crosse bridge and then is there wreathed corde or haire vnder the lath aboue and in that wreath is put the following staffe which as soone as the lidde doe fall that following staffe holdes it downe and the falling borde is nayled with two leathers as yée may sée to the lower borde and also the bridge is tide vnder vnto the lower bord with a string Thus much for the vnderstanding of the following trappe The griping trappe made all of yrne the lowest barre and the ring or hoope with two clickets and a turning pinne which ring is set fast to the sides of the lowest barre MOre vnto it is a plate round in the middest with fiue holes cut out and a sharpe yrne pinne in the middest which plate hath a spring on both sides vnder the edge of the plate and they stirre not of ioyntes vp and downe as the other doth but standes fast in touching the crosse pinne vnder the plate Here is more with two springs vntylde on both sides in holding together the two hoopes with nayles NOw when the two springes are opened abroade and holde downe here it is to be shewed as hee standeth tyled with the two springes downe flat to the long barre on both sides which springes are made of good stéele and as soone as the clickets which holde them downe vnder the plate when both the outward clickets be stirde The two springes shuts them suddenly together and there is in the two shutting hoopes sharpe pinnes of yrne set one
Thus much heere for the setting of the Otter We le and here shall follow the saide Otter We le with his proportion how to be made and set the more casier to make them where as they haue not béene séene before To knowe if an Otter do haunt riuer or ponde you must watch the waters in the night then shall you heare him plunging and chasing the fish all night by ests and bankes â—â—des so watch or else your fish may be kilde and you know not how nor when Here followeth the Otter We le The fashion of the Otter we le with two handels aboue the better to lay him he must be thrée quarters and more betwixt teme and teme in length This figure vnder shewes the setting of the gredyerne before the teme of the we le and when he falles to rest on two stiffe oziars on the lower part of the sayde teme as ye make see aboue but when ye shall set for tyle the saide gredyerne it must be pluckt vppe aboue the mouth of the Teme which temes mouth all the oziars must be cut euen by the wreth saue those two that must holde vp the gredyerne beneath as ye may sée Which mouth of the teme must be betwixt vi and vii inches déepe so that a good pretie dogge may creepe to 〈…〉 â—oo little the Otter will then gnaw the wele also the 〈◊〉 must fall easily on the two stirkes that stay him and she gredierne to be broder then the mouth of the teme which gredierne must be put in the we le when the we le is a making because it can not be put in when it is made except ye make it with playing ioyntes on the middle vane to folde but on the one side of the gredierne and so ye may set him in and take him out when the we le is made or when you will at any time They doe vse to make him without any ioynts but plaine and all flat barres setting to foure round hoopes of yeirne on the foure corners of the gredierne which gredierne is made with fiue flat barres and so vsed waying about two pound weight because it may fall the sooner For the Water-ratte THe Water-rat is a hurtfull vermin to kill fish especially Creuis Loches Culles and Trowtes lying in holes of the banke They will soone destroy much other fish and spaune in shallow riuers and brookes to kill them it is hard to doe but where as ye shall sée their path on bankes sides there set a deadfall for they do range abroad a nights like other Rats and will be where as is corne milles and fulling milles to eate corne and gnaw clothes and liues much like to other Rattes and will pill oziar barkes and such like Also to take them in weles is hard except the weles lie shallow and nigh the toppe of the water by the banke so a small Otter we le made for the nonce bayted may possible deceiue them They cannot tarrie long vnder water wherefore they will not hunt déepe nor robbe weles if they lie déepe for they commonly take fish nigh the toppe of the water But some men doe thinke a verie good way to take them that is to pinne square bordes against the holes where they haunt which bordes must haue a great hole in the middest and set iust against her comming in or out fast pinde to the bankes then make a latch and set it on the out side of the borde tyld as yon tyle the Foxe latch as ye shall sée in his place which hole in the borde on the nether part ye shall set thrée or foure prickes of wyar to holde any thing that comes out or in This practise may easely be made To lay poysoned baites as péeces of chéese flesh or such and to straw the powder of Orsenike thereon to be layde in ests where other things come not I knowe not what good it will doe for whereas ye touch any thing with your bare hande they will not lightly come at it Thus much for taking the water Rattes or Otter To preserue spawne in spawning time A Chiefe way to saue spawne of fish in March Aprill and May is thus ye shall make fagots of wheate or rie strawe all whole straw not bruised or of réede binde these faggots together with thrée bondes and all about thereon sticke of young branches of willowe Then cast them in the water among wéedes or by the bankes and put in each faggot two good long stakes driuen fast to the ground and let your fagots lie couered in the water halfe a yeard or more So the fish will come a shed their spawne thereon and then it will quicken therein so that no other fish can come to destroy or eate it and as they waxe quicke they will come foorth and saue themselues Thus much for the preseruing of spawne in the spring and spawning time this is a good practise to preserue the spawne of all scaled fish These fagots ye may make and lay in all riuers poundes or standing waters Your sagots had néede to be a yeard and a halfe long and bound with three bandes not hard two bandes a foote from the endes and an other bande in the middest and lay them as I haue afore declared Also some doe vse to hedge in corners in riuers and pondes with willow and thereon fish doe cast their spawne and so bréedes The manner of way to take Sea-pies The Sea-pie is a foule that vseth the seas and bréedes much in Ilands in the sea and liues most by fish wormes and where as they vse in fresh riuers they destroy much fish young frie and such as swimmes nigh the toppe of the water and will be in shallow places of the water and there they haunt to take and féede on them Therefore the fisher men haue inuented a way howe to take them which is ye shall lyme two small Oziars and binde the ends that are next the bayte almost crosse wise Then take an other short sticke and binde the one end vnto your ends of crosse twigges as ye may sée afore and put that short sticke through the fish or bayte Then lay it on some water leafe rushes or such like in the midst of the riuer and as soone as they shall sée it they will take and flie away with it in their bylles and soone they shall be lymed therewith The other way of laying these lymed twigges is ye shall put a small short sticke in the bayte as yee may sée a fore And at the hinder ende tye a thréed an intch long and to that thréed tie your lymed twigges and when she takes and flies away with it she cannot flie farre but she will be lyined for the twigs will turne and touch her wings and then she will fall Thus ye may take many Sea-pies both in sommer and winter and the like way ye may take both Crowes and other Pyes to take the Kyte therewith he will hardly be lyined because he takes
that is fold thereon so long as ye will haue it of length to lie on the water and each corke to be but foure fingers a sunder or lesse shall suffice The More-coore or bauld Coote kils fish also THe More henne or bauld coote liues likewise on waters and they also eate fish if they can take them To kill or take these I know no other way but with lime or with the gunne or such like to kill them The making of a water lime a verie good and a perfect way YE shall first wash your birdlime in running water that no knots be found therein nor yet motes but pike them out as cleane as ye can in the washing Then take and boyle it in a pot or skillet and in the boyling put in a little rosome with some fresh grease or goose grease and so let it boyle softly a pretie space in storing it stil Then take off the same lime and put it to a weat testorne in water if it come with the lime it is good if not boyle it longer vntill ye sée that proofe Also in stéede of rosom ye may take white turpentine for that is better And this kinde of water lime will holde both in water and frostie wether The Ospray THe Ospray is a bird like a Hawke nie as bigge as the Tarcell of a goshawke he liueth by fish and is a great destroyer of fish for I haue séene him take fish in the middest of a great ponde they say he hath one foote like a Ducke and the other like a Hawke and as he flies nie ouer the water the fish will come vp vnto him Howe to take him I know no other way but to watch where hee prayes to eate his fish for he will flie to some trée there aboutes and there to kill him with the handgunne which I haue séene in Hampshire Thus much for the Ospray The tempering of bird-lime and it will serue also well in water TAke a pound of bird lime cleanse and wash it in running water verie cleare that no knots be left therein Then beate out the water and drie it againe Then put thereto two spoonefuls of sharpe vineger and so much goose grease as will make it subtill to runne and put therto halfe a spoonefull of lampe oyle and a litle Venice Turpentine Then boyle all these together in an earthen leaden panne and sturre it alwayes and let it but bubble and play softly Then take it off the fire and so reserue it and vse it at your pleasure warme it when you will haue the vse thereof Lime made of Misteltoo DYoscorides sayth they do gather the berries in Automne in the full of the Moone for then they are of most force and then they broose them and so let them lie for a space and rotte and then they wash them in running water till they be cleane like other lime and therewith they doe take birdes as with other birde lime made of Holly barkes A pretie way to take a Pye YE shall lime a small thréede a foote long or more and then tie one end about a péece of flesh so bigge as shée may flie away withall and at the other end of the thréed tie a shooe buckle and lay the flesh on a post and let the thréede hang downe and when she flies away with it the thréede with the buckle will wrappe about her and then she will fall so ye may take them FINIS A Booke of Engines and traps to take Polcats Buzardes Rattes Mice and all other kindes of Vermine and beasts whatsoeuer most profitable for all Warriners and such as delight in this kinde of sport and pastime LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe and are to be solde by Edwarde White dwelling at the little North doore of Paules at the signe of the Gunne 1590. A hutch to take Polcats as also other Vermin THis manner of Engine is called of Warriners a hutch and it is made of bordes foure square to be remoued or to stande still with two falling bordes at the endes which two bordes must fall into two rygals on both sides of the endes for flipping 〈◊〉 Also there is two laâ—hes and strings tide to the falling bordes on the endes to holde them vp crossing vppon two pillers which are made fast on the vpper borde of the hutch with a line made fast on the backe side comming ouer the endes of the saide lathes downe to the bridge on the fore side Which bridge is tyde within to the backe side or borde of the hutch an inch from the bottome borde Some doe make them with another piller in stéede of the backe string but this is as good a way ye may chuse which way ye will haue it A latch trappe for the water Ratte to be made of borde with a hole pinde against the Rattehole in the banke of brookes pooles or riuers THe latch must be set no wider but two inches and a halfe hie so that they must créepe thorow when 〈◊〉 comes in or out it may be set within the water and abâ—â—â— the water where commonly they lie about all day and come out toward night This is called the dead-fall for Polcats or other Vermine THis engine is called a dead fall it is made with a square péece of timber or such like waying about halfe a hundreth poundes or more with a hole boared in the midst of the vpper side thereof and therein a hooked crooke set fast Also there is foure forked stakes which must be set fast in the ground and laying thereon two cudgils a crosse on which cudgils ye shall lay a long staffe or poale to hold vp the dead fall by the crooch vnder which crooch ye shall put a short cudgell with a line made fast thereunto which line reacheth downe to the bridge beneath which bridge ye shall make within fiue or sixe inces broad like those that are made for the foresaide hutch Also on both sides of this fall ye may set it with borde pale or such like either ye may hedge it with close rods and to make it ten inches hie or more The foure spreading corners are made to shewe the lowe hedges that no vermine shall passe so easily by but come thorow the fall and the passage must be made no wider then the fall is broade Some Warreners do make no tay of the bridge behinde but sets it loose against a pinne before the clicket and so it stayes vpon the fall The latch or Foxe trap THis Engine is called a Latch or Foxe trappe it is made with a thicke péece of wood of two inches in the bottome and so made taper wise vpwarde There is also two other square péeces set on the endes of the bottome péece and made with two regals for the latch to rise and fall in as ye may sée by example in turning on a pinne in the lower rigall at the hinder ende Which latch with the clogge must be made with his edge downeward as the other is
men that dwelles me the sea side where rockes are there the Foxe will be there it shall do well to set vppe iebbets and hang your dragges thereon and so shall ye destroy your Foxes in short time The Hare pipe THis Engine is called a Hare pipe because it is made hollow they are commonly made for the hare of pipes of Elder of sixe or seuen inches long and for the Foxes and dogges they are made of yrne plate nie ten or eleuen inches long with two sharpe pikes in the mouth thereof and the more they plucke and drawe the more it strikes in and peirce the flesh of the beast And also for the Foxe or other such it shall be good to arme the string or line with red wiar fer wéering Which line the one end is put in at a hole made in the pipe side as ye may sée and so drawne double out at the mouth of the same The other end comes through the pipe and is tide vnto some pinne set fast in the ground or to some bough They are commonly set in muses where they passe through but for the Foxe they pitch the hare pipe in some places at the mouth of his hole when he is hunted or other wise or in musis where he hauntes to meus houses in killing their lambes pigges or other poultrie Then sée that ye stoppe all other passages there aboutes so shall ye be sure to saue your poultre or else to take him Ye may make traines at your pipe hole as is afore mentioned of the other The whippe or spring trappe THis Engine is called the whip or spring it is set thus there is a string tyde vnto the end of some poale set fast in the ground or to some trée vnto the said string is made fast a small short sticke with a nicke in the lower end therof made thinne on the vpper side then the poale is bowed downe with it vnto an other sticke set fast in the grounde with a nicke also and thinne edge vnder Then shall yée ioyne both the nickes together as ye may sée by example as tickle as ye can Then open the end of your string set it in some muse or where ye thinke good And when anie Foxe or other thing doe plucke the saide vpper string a side then the nicke slippes by and the poale starts and so holdes him vp as ye may easely sée by example Thus much for the spring trappe There is yearely kilde with Foxes in this Realme as many do iudge of lambes tenne thousand of poultrie twentie thousand of Rabbets and Conies nie fortie thousand couple besides young Faunes in many Parkes and Forests The double trappe to take Rattes or Mice THis Engine or trap it is almost made with a square borde in the bottome and also aboue and aqout fiue inches in height with a thicke borde in the middest as yée may sée pointed with fiue nayles and nayled fast to the vpper and neather borde in parting the trappes There is also two falles naylde with leathers on the vpper borde which is holde vp and tilde with a string which string hath a clicket or wedge and is stayde on a short péece of woode and so tilde with hooked wiar which wiar goeth thorowe a bigge hole and stayes on the vpper bord by a crosse wiar and on the lower end of the crooked wiar the baite is put on within the trappe at the further ende of the trappe and there against ye may sée certaine wiars set from the vpper borde to the neather borde to tice the Rats there to séeke to goe out Which is thought yearely they destroy thorow England fortie quarters of corne A trappe or fall for Buzardes and Kytes with a hurdell THis Engine is called a fall or trappe to take Buzardes and Kytes which is after this sort ye shall set a hurdell on the ground where ye thinke good Which hurdell is holden vp before with a crooked sticke and that crooked sticke holden vp with a forked stick put vnder him which forked sticke must stand loose on the ground without the neather bridge or forked sticke Also in setting vp the neather end of the crooked stick that holdes vp the hurdell must be made small and slightly put into the clift of the forked bridge and sticke which forked sticke is made fast and tide with two thréedes to the ground vnder the backe of the hurdell as ye may easely perceiue and when yee doe tile or set it vp it shall be good with the crooked stickes end to let the bridge stande a handfull hie from the ground and put therein the ende of your crooked sticke as tickle as yée can that when any thing comes to take the baite and treades it downe the hurdell falles suddenly on them The Basket fall THis Engine is called the Basket fall to take Kytes and Buzardes it is set and tylde in all thinges like vnto the hurdle before with all thinges thereunto belonging This Basket is commonly made nye thrée fatham about in the skirtes and so hie that a man may well stande vpright within him The Warriners do commonly in some places vse in Rabbet time to set him in plaines in warrens and in parkes wheras Connies are bred and so they take the Kyte and the Buzard in this Basket The Iay trappe to set about corne fields or orchards THis Engine is called a Iay trappe it is made with a poale of seuen or eight inches abount and seuen or eight foote long or hie set fast in the ground about your wheat or other fruite There is made in the saide poale two holes one beneath and the other aboue in the neather most hole there is a spring wand set fast therein and bowed vnto the hole aboue which hole ye shall put thorowe a string tide fast to the ende of the spring wand with a knot thereon to stay it that it shall not slippe backe againe Also on the fore side of the hole ye must put a blunt pinne of wood with a round ende of seuen or eight inches long set loosely in by the knot to stay the string which pinne yee shall sée clouen in the middest and in that cleft they vse to put a cherie or wheat eare for a baite Then shall yée spread finely and lay the string about on the saide short pinne and your string to haue a running noose Also the trappe of your stake must be made sharpe that no foule shall light thereon And when any lights on the short pinne to catch the baite it falles downe and the string thereon takes them by the legges Thus ye may set many such about your grounds ye may make these trappes on boughes in trées to take them at all times of the yeare if ye list The bow trappe for Rats or other Vermine THis engine or trappe with the bow is made like a boxe of a whole péece of wood with the lidde opening shutting aboue
and this side is vnbent she wing the left side and the lidde and clicket taken out with holes and the string for to set him as more plainly shall be shewed bent and set The bowe trappe set THis is side shewes him bent with the holes and pinnes how to bende him as the pinne on the lidde is to holde the string bent And also the pinne set aboue the clicket is to order the string comming from the hole of the bridge vnto the clicket which must stay vp the bridge crost and bayted when he is set The pikes are set to holde fast when he is put dowe The Dragin trappe for Mice or Rattes THis engine or trappe is made of wood like the stocke of a Bell with two holes at the endes and therein is put thorow haire or corde double and the lidde put betwéene and so wreath the haire one way towarde the lidde vppon the vnder hoope with sharpe wyars set round on the vpper lidde and a long bridge vnder falling within the neather hoope with a staffe set fast aboue on the stocke to tie the string and clicket which must holde vp the lidde the vpper trappe lyes with the mouth towarde you and the lower with the side towardes you The fall for Rats or other vermine THis engine is called the Ratte trappe or fall which is made with a thicke bottome borde and two thinner bordes on both sides and there is two staues set fast thorowe the bottome borde then the fall must be a thicke bord and heauie withall and at the endes thereof must your staues goe thorow easely to fall and rise which two staues haue holes aboue which staues must also goe thorowe the long bridge aboue and at the holes ye must put in two pins to holde vp the sayde bridge Then must ye set fast another staffe in the middest of the fall with a latch in the toppe thereof loose set to fall vp and downe which latch must haue a string which string commeth downe to the bridge beneath with a small clicket fastened thereunto and the bridge is fastened beneath on the backeside or borde an inch from the bottome borde and so it is done Yée may make them to take water Rats in setting them in the water in the sides of your ponds and riuers and bayted with carion but then ye must set rowes of short nayles vnder the fall planke and those will stay either ratte or other fish if they goe through it and put downe the bridge The boxe trappe THis engine or trappe is to take mice or rattes which is made of a thin borde of two inches and a halfe broad and eight inches long with a round bole cut thorowe the borde in the one end and a boxe ioynde and glued therein which boxe must haue a hole aboue and therein yee must put your crooked wyar that must holde the batte within the boxe and stayed aboue on the saide boxe with a crosse wier Then shall ye sée the falling wyar tylde vp with a string or thréed and fastened vnto a long clicket which is staid with a crooked wiar that holdes the baite within the sayde clicket to be made of bone for that is better then wood except it be hard The seochin in the middest of the boxe is as it were made for the baite The foure sharpe wiars beneath the boxe are to holde the mouse or ratte when the wyar falles The barre crosse by the boxe is to stay the wyar it shall not fall out or fall too low And the end of the falling wyar is fastened with two crosse bars and riueted through the board and the end of the falling wyar also so it is done The spring trappe for Mice THis engine or trappe is to take mice it is made with a borde of two inches thicke and in the one ende yée must boore so bigge holes as a mouse may easely créep therin so many as ye shall thinke good Then must ye boore against euery of the sayd holes foure small hole with a piercer through the sayd borde And all those holes next the end ye shall put in strong thréeds on the vpper holes of the bord so they may be set on the ende of the spring and lie rounde in each great hole nie the brinke Then must ye put a smal thréede through the borde double and tie him on the spring stiffe to holde downe the spring and those strings next the end must beare no tight but lie slacke and as they gnawe a sunder the other thréed to come to the baite that takes them by the belly or necke and euer as your inner thréedes are bit a sunder ye may soone put or drawe them through with a small wyar againe Also the other endes of the springs must be fast set in holes boared with a small wimble Ye may make the like to take Rattes if ye make the holes square and bigger The dragin trappe with a great wyar THis engine or trappe is to take Mice and Rats it is made of two thinne bordes the neather borde is made round at the one end and broad at the other end like a swallow tayle Then is there an other bord set on edge in the middest thereof which borde hath a great wyar bowed and nayled thereon as ye may sée and the rounde bowght thereof must lie close on the round ende of the neather borde Then is there two short square bordes nayled and spreading toward the great wyar Also yee sée at the toppe of the vpright borde a long mortis wherein the wiar that must holde the clicket and baite must goe thorowe and there staye on another wyar and the like is holden vp with the vpper ende thereof which clicket doe stay on the toppe of the middle or vpright borde and so tyde thereat with a thréede which holdes vp the great wyar when that ye will set or tyle him also the neather borde is set rounde with sharpe wyars to holde mouce or ratte and they must stande all within the bowght of the great wyar and it is done This shewes with the side towardes you or the halfe thereof The Samson poste for Rattes THis engine is called the Samson poste it is stayde vp on thrée péeces and one beares the burden of all with the helpe of the other two péeces and made as ye may sée with notches one to stay vppon the other These thrée stickes which ye sée the broadest is called the bridge and that is made broade and thinne and long withall to reach vnder the planke or borde a good way and bayted at the end thereof The next is the crosse barre which stayes vp the planke or borde set in a nicke in the end of the bridge The third is the piller or poste set almost vpright which stayes the bridge for falling to the ground which bridge must alwayes stand from the ground an inch or more that he may the sooner fall when he is touched Also yee may
contrary to the other with holes made for those pinnes to goe thorough and shut close together that it will holde any thing if it be but a rush or straw so close they shut together The two hoopes on both sides outward are made bigger and bigger vpwarde to holde more close when they come together as ye may perceiue by the hoopes within the springs on both sides Then there is at the ends of the long barres two square holes which holes are made to pinne the long barre fast to the ground when yee set or tyle him in any place at your pleasure His clickets may so be made that if any Otter Foxe or other doe but tread thereon he shall be soone taken This ye must bnide a péece of meate in the middest and put it on the pricke and so binde it fast and in pulling the baite the clickets will slippe and the springes will rise and so it will take him Thus much for this kind of trappe shall be sufficient to vnderstand the order thereof The square boxe trappe THis trappe is to take mice with any small square boxe which boxe ye shall set an ende and make the couer so he may fall of his owne accorde Then tyle him vp with a small sticke with a nicke and set it in the middest to holde vp the couer Then put chéese on the toppe of the sticke within the boxe So when shée bites the baite the sticke shakes and the lidde falles downe and so the mouce remaynes in the boxe Thus ye may take many mice with small charge and soone done A spring for a Buzard or Dunkite THis engine is called a whippe spring made and set to take Buzardes and kites and commonly set by a bush side it may also be set in a plaine the spring must be of some growing poale or some rodde set fast in the ground where ye thinke best There is also two stakes set halfe a yeard a sunder fast in the ground and that stake with a crooke must stand towardes the looce of the spring and tild with a clicket which clicket aboue must stay vnder the crooke and the neather end there of must stand in the nicke of the end of the bridge which hath a hooke at the other end about the other stake which bridge must stand thrée inches from the ground and thereon spread your line as ye sée with a shooe buckle to slide soone Then baite your bush side made some what hollow that she can come no way to the batte but ouer the bridge which baite may be a Conies head or some eats flesh Thus much for the spring The hoope nette for the Buzard set against some bush in a plaine or open place THis engine called the hoope nette is made thus yée must haue a good bigge rodde of two inches about and bow him round so that he be a yeard hie in the middest Then tie his two endes with a small packthréed within thrée quarters and a halfe quarter which bowed rodde yée shall put on a péece of some hay net of an ell long and the other side of the net on the ground line Then set two pins fast in the ground tyde with packthréede to the two lower endes of the bowed rodde which must turne easie and not flie vp Then set before your bridge with hoolie and pinne as ye may sée with a bowed sticke and a clicket at the other ende which clicket is tide with a string reaching to the side of the hoope and the other part vnto the spring rod which rodde must lie on the ground that when the bridge is put downe it pluckes the hoope ouer the Buzarde and so holdes it still do one which hoope must be set vp right against some bush and couered with some light fearne And this is an excellent way in winter to take them The order for setting and drawing the chaffe nette for Crowes and Sparrowes as hereafter shall be declared YE shall first make your trenches for your nette and staues according to the length of each thereof and your sayd trenches and staues to be without the ends of your net First piune downe the backe line of your nette in the trench with foure small hooked pinnes so done then measure thrée yeardes from the further end of your net and there knocke downe a stake and tie your draging line therat But set your stake so that your line and net may fall straight when he is drawen then knocke downe in the two vppen endes of your staffe trenches two hooked pins to holde your two staues as ye may sée in their places Then measure from the néere end of your backe line fiue yeardes towarde your hande and there knocke downe another stake and fasten your pull thereat and drawe your line through it and pull your line so farre as ye will drawe your net and there you must knocke down an other strong stake with a hole thorow a foote aboue the ground there tie your drawing line to a short sticke to drawe by when ye will and tie your line so tight it may come stiffe in bending your net Then bent it and put your line in the notch of your surther staffe and fasten it to the hooked pin in the trench till ye haue bent the other staffe in the néere trench Then gather vp your net and lay it vnder your line in the trench so done couer your net and staues with some short strawe or chaffe and couer your drawing line with fearne or such like Then baite your shrape nie the backe line with offall corne or chaffe mixt with oates séedes or such like and let it so remaine thrée or foure daies if ye will without laying your nette so they will be the bolder to come when your net is layde and the more number will knowe and not seave the nette Also your staues for the Sparrowe net commonly must be twelue handfuls long or nigh foure foote and the casting staues for your Rooke net may well be a handfull longer The length betwéene your staues and trenches for your Sparrowe net must be two and twentie foote or according to the length of your net And so for your Rooke net Your backe line may be a small line but your drawing line had néede be strong and somewhat bigger than a halpeny haltar to way downe the net Some doe vse to lay stones and cloddes by if he drawe alone to lay them on the out sides of the nette while hee takes or killes the Crowes Wherefore if these nets were vsed in each parish thorough England according to the statute there would not be the tenth Crowe aliue which is now in this Realme with in these fewe yeares and as some doe iudge the Crowes and birdes doe eate and spoyle as much graine yearely as would goe nigh to finde all the people and cattell of the gretest shiere in England for one yeare For it is thought they deuour spoyle yéerely in and for each parish