A few of the poorest Lapps stay up here to trap ptarmigan (Lagopos) in the following manner. They take a small, forked twig about 7 inches long and fashion a snare out of sail-yam or horsehair. They split the twig slightly and fix the snare in the split. The snare is now hanging loose. Then, since this gallows is made of birch wood, they carefully peel the thin bark off the side and this forms a curl. A curl of bark is placed on each side of the snare to ensure that the snare remains flush with the gallows and does not turn at right angles to it. The two prongs of this fork are then stuck into the snow-crust in among the birch scrub, and about 2 yards are left between each trap. A small fence of brushwood is laid between the traps so that, when the ptarmigan come mnning along, they do not fly over the fence but try to walk through it – and cannot get through except where the traps are. Often as many as 40 to 50 birds are trapped in a night.