AN ELECTRIC "RAT-TRAP."

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3810, 1 October 1883, Page 4

AN ELECTRIC "RAT-TRAP."

Tlio discovery that the wires of the electric light form the most efficient of all rattraps was made accidentally. The electric light suddenly wont out one night in a privito house, and on examination it was found that a rat had touched the two wires iv the cellar, and thus closed a, circuit with his unsuspecting paws. The rat was lulled instantaneously by tlio electric current, and his body romnined, with one paw uplifted, in precisely the attitude in which death overtook the unfortunate animal. The hint thus furnished has been furnished by Proi'ussor Smith, and is the basis of his electric rat and mouse annihilator. Instead of an olaborate trap, which rats and mice of any intelligence refuso to enter, the professor

uses wires. On all sides of tho cellar, and at a height of 2 inches from tho ground, is placed a small wooden trough sprinkled with cheeso, while on each side of the trough runs the electric wires which furnish light to the rest of tho house. Tho mice and rats are naturally attracted by the cheese, and in endeavoring to reach it touch tho two wires and are instantaneously killed. This admirable invention will clear a house of rats and mice in a single night, and in some places where it has been tried no less than three gross of assorted rodents have been found the next morning standing in hungry attitudes over the fatal trough. It is obvious that this admirable invention will entirely supersede tho old-fashioned traps, and that its universal adoption will lead to the total extermination of rats and mice. Professor Robinson, in his electric cat specific, has made yet another application of tho electric light wires. As is well known, the urban cat inhabits the back fences of city lots. Very fuw cats are found on the roofs of city houses, doubtless for the reason that tho roofs are Hat, and hence arc destitute of a ridge-pole on which tho cat can sit and obtain an uninterrupted view of the neighborhood. Sitting on the edge of tho fence, tho cat can watch the approach of enemies with or without bootjacks, and can take proper measures for avoiding them. So strictly confined arc city cats to back fences", that could we capture every one that mounts a fence wo should soon render tho city cat as extinct as tho dodo. The ck'-ti'ii! ("it .specified is a system of electric wires running along the tops of back fences. Like the wire-; of the burglar discourager, they are harmless in the daytime when the current is cut of, but are eminently deadly at night when the current is turned on. Tho midnigtcat. mounts tho back fence only to be stricken with instantaneous death. She utters no moan, and her attitude is so natural that it creates no suspicion in the minds of other eaK In fact, the more thick the top of any given back fence becomes crowded with dead cats, the more anxious other cats become to join the crowd and take part in what they imagine to be a great feline gala, concert. 'The electric cat specified was recently tried in connection with the back fence. The current was turned on at eleven o'clock at night, and at seven the next morning 'I'M cats worn found dead on tho top of the fence, while some more had fallen to the ground. The demonstrative ciiiciein-y of Pro fcs.sor Robin - son's trreat invention will ensure its rapid i.nd general adoption, and thus elcctrieity will onco more have conferred a signal on the human race.