Figure 292.—Rat trap (mailei 'iole):

a, the trap is made of a section of bamboo (1) large enough to admit a rat. A node partition is left at one end to prevent the rat entering by the back door. A piece of wood (2) is lashed transversely to the under part of the bamboo to serve as a stand to keep the bamboo from rolling. A rod (3) about 14 inches long is tied to the bamboo and the horizontal rod in an upright position. A long springy piece of wood (4) is tied to the back end of the bamboo and the top of the upright to form the spring. The free end is cut off in line with the front end of the bamboo which forms the entrance. b, On either side of the middle line, holes large enough to allow the run of a three-ply braid are bored through the upper surface of the bamboo just inside the entrance (1, 1). A little further in two holes a little apart are bored in the median line (2 and 3). A straight stick (4) is pushed down through the innermost hole (3) to support the bait. A loop of sennit fibre (5) is made and knotted at the end of such a length that when doubled and pushed up through the middle hole (2) it will project above the bamboo to the same height as the bait stick. The loop is prevented by the knot from pulling upwards through the hole. A length of sennit braid (6) is tied to the free end of the spring. The spring is pulled down and tested to find the right tension. At a point opposite the line with the tops of the bait stick and the loop, a slip noose (fig. c) is formed in the braid. A light stick (7) long enough to reach the bait stick has one end inserted in the noose which is drawn taut to fix the stick. The end of the braid (6) is inserted through one of the remaining holes (1, 1) near the entrance, passed around the inner circumference of the bamboo and pushed out through the other hole where it is knotted (8) on the outside and the end cut off. The trap is set by pulling down the spring, passing the stick attached to the braid through the loop (5) and resting its end on the upper end of the bait stick (4). In this position the upward pull of the spring transmitted through the outer end of the braid stick (7) owing to the fulcrum formed by the loop pushes down the inner end of the page 525horizontal braid stick. This is prevented by the bait stick which cannot be pushed downwards. So long as the upper end of the bait stick remains immovable, the spring stick cannot fly back. The braid loop within the bamboo entrance is spread out along the sides and bottom so that a rat entering must step over the loop. The bait stick is baited inside the bamboo before the trap is set.