THE HAY AHD ITS BRAIN.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 142, 14 June 1909, Page 7

THE HAY AHD ITS BRAIN.

The rat has a large brain in proportion to its body. So declared Sir J. Crichton-Browne, speaking at the first annual meeting of the Society for the Destruction of Vermin. Its persistence and ingenuity in overcoming obstacles was unequalled. It had no difficulty in carrying eggshells upstairs, or of living on billiard [balls when nothing else could bo obi tamed. It almost provoked admira.tion, were it not morally so despicable. Everything possible should at once be done to abate the rat nuisance. Denmark since 1907 had paid a premium for every rat killed. _ Oite result of the first year's working of that new law had been very satisfactory. Like the payment for old age pensions, the premium to be paid in Denmark for dead rats was underestimated. In the first quarter of the working of the new Act in that country the number of premiums was seven times the population in the district. They could fancy the rat population of England if the same proportion of figures applied to this country. Bacteriological preparation used for the extermination of rats acted slowly, but already in Denmark there had been a remarkable reduction in the damage caused by rats, and the problem was now well under control. The rat had been the causa of huge and hideous, plague mortality in India.

i Shriotly speaking, the plague was [at their own doors. It had invaded ! their colonies, and h::d even been i- brought to their shores by s-hins. Bo | was a strong advocate of the speedy ! oxlermination ct: the-rat, after which j they might turn their attention to | other veiMiiin.