trap, though now a thing of the past, is still remembered by old men. Its main or fall part consisted of trunks of small trees united into a sort of lattice work by means of muskeg pine saplings interlaced through them. To ensure additional efficiency for the structure, large stones were laid over it, heaps of which are still to be seen in several places, generally close by the banks of salmon streams. I can find no native in a position to satisfactorily explain the mechanism of this trap. All I can gather is that it was very effective, not only against black bears, but even against grizzlies.

α

2

Fig. 81.

To secure martens and other small land game, the Carriers never use but the trap shown in fig. 80, which is very simple in construction. It is merely composed of a fall stick a, one end of which is thrust in the ground in an oblique direction, and which springs down on the transversal or ground stick b, through the falling off of the pole c, resting upright on the bait stick d. To prevent the game from getting at the bait otherwise than through the trap, a rectangular enclosure is erected with small pickets generally against, or close to, the bole of a spruce or pine tree. Should the fall stick not exactly correspond in position with that lying on the ground, the marten might survive the springing of the trap and

eventually effect its escape. To guard against such an accident, twostakes e are driven in the ground on each side of the falling apparatus. The use and working of the weight pole ƒ need no explanation.

Much more complicated, as may be seen from fig. 81, is the action of the lynx trap. The device causing the capture, if not the death, of the game, is identical with that of the preceding, save that two weight poles instead of one are used. But the principle of the apparatus itself is altogether different, and might be pointed out as an evidence of no mean ingenuity. Although I have faithfully outlined in dots the working of the trap while in the act of springing, some further explanation of it may be necessary.

The general principle governing its action is the balance principle. The fall stick being pressed down by the weight sticks, thereby forces up the furthest end of the lever a, which is balanced on the post b, acting as fulcrum. As an immediate consequence, the string button c (fig 82)

is started up and at once arrested in its flight by the horizontal sticks d engaged between the button and the perpendicular pole e. The reason of the springing of the trap is now easy to understand. The lynx, or fox, upon trying to get at the bait laid on the ground a little distance off within a picket enclosure, is bound to tread on the trip stick e which is thereby disengaged from the Fig. 82. pressure of the button, which immediately whirls upyielding to the action of the weight poles on the lever, as shown in the dotted outlines. Both the post and the perpendicular pole e are stuck in the ground, and the latter, as well as the weight sticks, are set up through the branches of the tree under which the trap is prepared.

A somewhat different setting of the same trap is obtained by engaging the trip stick above, instead of below, the middle of the button piece. In this case no bait is provided for the game, but the trip stick is thoroughly rubbed over with castoreum, by licking which the animal springs off the lever, whereby the fall stick slips down on the base.

A modification of this trap is occasionally used by a few to capture the beaver. But as the Crees are credited with its invention, no further mention of it is necessary.

Fig. 83 represents a kind of trap differing in every particular from the three already described. It is proper to the Tsé'kéhne and does service against marmots. As shown in the cut, it is usually set in front of the animal's den, and its action or working apparatus has some resemblance to the common figure four trap. Its trip stick a is laid across the entrance of the marmot's den and is disposed so as to form a right angle with the left side of the spring stick b. Of course this is concealed from view with dry grass, leaves, moss or any other available vegetable material. In order to give even a clearer idea of the mechanism of the trap, its com

Fig. 85.

Fig. 84.

ponent parts will be found separately drawn in fig. 84. Let it suffice ot add that, while the fall stick is looped to the springing piece b, the small end of the latter is at the same time notched in the trip stick a and connected with the post c through the double string d, which presses in the extremity of both trip and spring pieces.

These traps are not hastily constructed on the spur of the moment with any chance material taken at random from the immediate vicinity of the spot where they are set. They require some little care in their preparation, and they are therefore made at home, and carried about with their different parts tied together as shown in fig. 85.

SNARES.

Whilst we are occupied with the divers contrivances invented by native ingenuity to capture land animals, it may be well to give some idea of the Western Dénés' methods of snaring the same. To such as may be tempted to call in question the appositeness of such minute details, I would beg to point out that the aborigines, whose technology we are studying, are pre-eminently huntsmen no less than fishermen; and to call complete a review of their industrial implements, which does not

embrace their various fishing and hunting contrivances, would be equivatent to supposing well constituted a body lacking nerve or bone. Besides giving us some idea of their proficiency as craftsmen, they enable us to witness, as it were, the workings of their mind as applied to their means of providing for the necessaries of life. So that those very details which may appear unimportant to the superficial reader, add in the estimation of the scientist, a psychological interest to a study which is primarily technological. What has already been said of the Western Dénés' fish or animal traps has led us to the conclusion that, if those aborigines are wanting in the appreciation of the beautiful, they are by no means devoid of the faculty of judging and selecting that which is best suited to the attainment of their ends. A review of their snaring devices cannot fail to confirm this impression.

At least eight different methods of snare setting, generally varying according to the nature of the game, obtain among the single Carrier tribe. I leave it to the following figures to explain the details, and shall content myself with noting en passant that which they cannot tell.

A

B

Fig. 86.

Figs. 86 and 87 represent bear-snares* whereby the game is either choked down on the ground (fig. 86) or flung up in the air (fig. 87). The action of the former is exceedingly simple, though it cannot fail to prove very effective. Of course it is clear that the bear upon getting engaged in the noose, which is in all cases held in the proper position through

* The root for snare in general is piz, and this word is suffixed to the name of the game for which each snare is intended. Euphony demands that it be preceded by an m; therefore bearsnare is sas-mpi; lynx-snare, washi-mpij, etc., in Carrier.

small strings lashed to the bushes near by, will, to free himself therefrom, pull forward or backward. Either movement must result in the fall of the post a and thereby of the beam b.

Fig. 87.

As to the second mode of setting the bear-snare, it may be necessary to explain that as soon as the game is noosed up by the falling of the crossed poles, he will naturally, in his efforts to disentangle himself, struggle for a support for his paws so as to annul the action of the noose. This is provided for him in the shape of the wooden piece noticeable under the small end of the lever. But as the role of the hunter is not one of mercy, he has taken care, prior to setting his snare, to bore through that piece of wood a hole large enough to ensure its slipping down with the contraction of the noose. So that by pressing down on it, the animal only hastens its own death. The manner of lashing the lever or balancing pole to the post is shown in Fig. 88. It is reputed the safest and is adopted with regard to all other snares requiring a similar appliance.

The setting of the cariboo snare cannot be simpler. As shown herewith, it merely consists in a noose attached to a stout stake (fig. 89) with which the game scampers away, and becoming engaged among fallen or standing trees chokes himself to death.

Until a few years ago, the Tsé'kéhne were wont to use these snares extensively and with no mean results. As many as forty or fifty were