Natural History.

Otago Witness, Issue 1460, 8 November 1879, Page 27

Natural History.

THE RAT.— Continued.

(Specially written for the Otago Witness.)

By Uncle David.

The tiue ship rat is a more delicate animal than the brown rat. It is more like the Norman breed : it haß even bsen supposed by some to be closely related. The same five large ear, sharp nose, long tail, dark fur, and small size characterise both, and a like hatred exists between them and the Norwegian species. Sometimes colonies of the two kinds are found in the same ship — the one living in the stem, the other in the stern of the vessel. Woe be to the unfortunate straggler who ventures within the camp of his enemy. In former t : mes rats frequented the knaokers' (men who buy old worn out hores for dogs' meat) yards at Montfavc3n. If the bodies of dead horses were thrown during the day into a corner, the next morniDg they would bs found stripped of their fl sh. An old proprietor .of one of these yards had a certain space entirely surroundsd with walls, with holes only large enough to let rats out and in. Within this inclosure he l-.fb two or three dead horses, and when night came he went quietly with his workmen, stopped up the holes, and then went into the inolosure with a stiok in one hand and a lighted torch in the other. The rats covered the ground bo thickly that a blow struck anywhure did execution. Br repeating this plan ho killed 16,050 rats in one month, and 2650 in a single night. They burrowed under all the walls of the buildings round about, aud it was only by putting broken glasa bottles round the foundations that the owners were able to save them. In hard frost, when the men could not cut up tho bodies of tho horsea, and when the small pieces of flesh were too hard for even the rats to feed upon, they entered ihe body and devoured the flesh from tho inside, so that when tbe workmen came after the thaw they found nothing under the skin but the skeleton, better cleared of its flash than if the most skilful workmen bad d> ne it.

The fierceness and greed of the rat Bur. passes anything that you can imagine. A French gentleman once placid a dozen rats ia a .box^ in. order to try some experiments When he reached home, and opened the box, there were enly three remaining : these bad devoured the rest, and had only left their bone 3 and tail?.

Not many years ago thay existed in millions in the drains and sewers of London. Several came 3 have been at work to reduce their numbcis. The price of 3a a dozen for rats for sporting purposes proves, however, tho most certain means of their destruction. The underground city of sewers becomes one vaat hunting ground, in which men regularly gain a living by their capture. A number of men often form themselves into a company, and divide their profits each evening. Beft ra entering the sewera they plan what routes the 7 will take, and at what point they will mcct — very likely with the idea of driving their prey towards Borne central Bpbt. They go in couples, each man carrying a lighted candle with a tin reflector, and a bag. The moment the rat soes the light it runs along the sides of the drain, just above the line of tho s-jwage water j the men give chase, and soon overtake the winded animal, which no sooner finds the mon gain upon it than it S9ts up a shrill squeak, In the midst of which it is seized with tho bare hand behind the ears and popped into the bag. In this way a dozen will of ten bo caught in as many minutes. When driven to bay at the end of a blind sewer they will often fly at the boots of the men in the most determined manner.

A clergyman in the south of Eugland tolls a story, which brings cut a feeling that wo should not have supposed to exist in a rat,

Walking out in the fields one evening, he saw a great number of rats pass not far from biro. He stood quite still and watched them closely. His astonishment, however, waß great, when he saw amongst the number an old blind rat, which hsld a piece of stick at one end in its mouth, while another had hold of the other end, and in this way led its blind companion. A similar thing was witnessed by a doctor on board the chip Lancaster. While lying awake one evening he saw a rat come into his berth, and, after looking round to see that all was Bafe, retreated with the greatest caution and silsnee, It returned soon afterwards, leading by the car another rat, which it left at a short distance from the hole by which they entered. A third rat joined this kind oonductor. They then searched about, and picked up all the small scraps of biscuits ; these they carried to the second rat, who seemed blind, and remained on the spot where they had left it, nibbling such food as was brought to it by its providers, whom the doctor supposed to be its offspring.

The head of the water rat is thick, short, and blunt ; the eyes are small, and the ears so short that they can scarcely be seen beyond the fur ; the cutting teeth of a deep yellow in front, very strong, and chisel shaped. The fore feet have four complete toes, the last joint only of the thumb being seen beyond the skin, The hind feet have five toes, connected a short distance from the base. .Although the feet of the water rat are not webbed, yet it can swim very well — not only on the surface but even under it. This animal burrows and breeds in the banks of rivers, streams, ponds, and ditches ; sometimes, however, it has been found at a great distance from water. They are very fond of fruit ; should they entar the garden they will select (says Cobbet,) the prime of the dessert — melons, strawberries, grapes, and wallfmit. The water rat is a cleanly animal : it has bat one brood, consisting of five or six. The flesh is s&id to be eaten by the French peasants on certain days. The black rat is greyish-black above, and ssh coloured beneath ; the ears are half the length of the head, the tail rather longer than the body — which is about seven inches. It is stated that the old Englu-h or black rat was in Britain long before the brown one. It is also believed to have came originally from the continent, where it firat made its appearance in the beginning of the sixteenth century.