Some Facts About Rats.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 148, 25 June 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

Some Facts About Rats.

It is still a moot question whether the black and the brown .rats are really distinct' species, or whether they are not' irierely races of one and the same form.: ..The latter is the larger and the stronger animal, : it is true, and, in this country, at all events, hat almost exterminated. its weaker relatives ■But, on the:otherhand, it is stated by competent authorities that this ■ has 'been! brought about, not in the course of aotual; warfare, but by the gradual verging of the; feebler varieties into the more robust," the1 brown rats having persistently robbed" the. black of their, mates—a theory the more. probaHe inasmuch as male rats ( 'out-' number the female in the proportion j of about two to one," and thusi would find some difficulty in providing. themselves with spouses of their^'own' kind. Now, pairing .upon so extensive ai scale never takes place in nature between! distinct species, and thus, if this statement be true, there are good grounds for holding< that the black rat is merely a variety or; form of the-brown, or vice versa. Howeverthis may be, the fact remains that the' darker animal is now a great rarity in Ureabj Britain, having gradually given way to its; more powerful relation, just as the savage) has retreated before the advance of civilised! man. It is a fact not generally known thati barn rats are barn rats only for apportion of • the year, migrating into the fields in spring, ■ and leading an outdoor life' until .the, approach of- autumn. A ; certainl proportion generally, find, their. ; -way to the nearest stream,', and -take up their abode on the 'banks thereof,wreaking sad .havoc upon the fish-thalj': come wandering by. It is during, this period of the year that the rat' turns; its i attention to family • matters,. the _ females i constructing a comfortable nest in some, sheltered retreat, and there bringing!' up their .offspring. As these animals- begin to : breed at four months of age, produce, from ; eight to fourteen young at a birth, and. seldom content themselves with less than : three broods in the year, their great abun- ', dance is easily accounted- for, and -the marvel is" that they do not, t overrun i the entire land. , That they fail * to. do so is the more remarkable mas- j much as they! can 'be trapped only with considerable difficulty. Wariest' of ' animals, they will scent out the; touch.; of the human hand, iand avoid the mosb cunningly conceived snares unless -the •'. setter thereof takes the precaution"' to j wear "gloves rubbed; with aniseed, tor j with some equally odorous preparation, i And, even if the utmost care be taken, few excepting professional ratcatchers i ever meet with any real success. Areceht writer strongly recommends the following plan; if : rats are present in any great numbers:—: Geb .i an oldtub.or two, take out the :tops, and i supply their place' with parchmenbj or stout brown paper. , On this; for'two" j or three successive nights, ;'leave :a i few fragments of cheese, '• bacon, or! other J odoriferous dainty dear to the rat palate, i Lean a piece of board against the side-of j the tub, to serve as a ladder, and allow I the, rats to become thoroughly accustomed ! to the future trap. After; the lapse of a j few days, I place a, brick: upright jin the j bottom.! of .the tub, fill with water to a.j depth of six inches,, iso that the top of/the; brick is justihigh and dryland,.cut;the■'. parchment in slips, in such a manner'as*'to j give !way! at >the slighest' pressure, o The ■] first, rat who ventures thereon falls;; of 1 course, into the water, and quickly makes j his way.to the brick,- which allows him > standing room .and no- more.' Before'long j he is joined by a second; who also makestfor J the; brick.; : . arid then ensues a battle; royal,-j accompanied by ■ much> squeaking.' Now ,■ the- cry r of; a rat" in? "^distress invafiaDly , attracts every other rat within' '■> hearing, j wifch • a view - to"^ a ' possible rttik&l"%rnponi :their ■ iihfoctunate relation.»<" So Cfche'-*Hn* \ prisoned; rats* are quickly joined by others, \ and those-by others again ; and "the cry is ; still 'they come.'" In this manner; itf ia' saidj no less than 2,700 rats were caughfc j in a single warehouse in '&.< single!highti- ? Ib | is necessary, howevfci, .to ' state tb'at' this '; result-was attained only by a: ruinous'6x- ; periditureiii the matter of tubs;r but, on a small scale, the trap:-is well wortbyfof, trial.—''Household Words." ; ■[ n:i;'l: