A. E. Verritt — The Bermuda Islands. 717 



As they are very nocturnal in their habits and inhabit by prefer- 

 ence the thick woods and swamps, it is not strange that the early 

 writers did not observe them, even if common. But after the 

 settlers began to plant corn and other crops and fruits attractive to 

 these rats, they naturally began to collect around the plantations 

 and storehouses in large numbers, especially in winter and spring, 

 when their natural food was scarce, and thus foi'ced themselves into 

 notice at once. At the same time this new source of supply of food 

 in the winter would have prevented the death of large numbers 

 by starvation, as may have occurred previously on many occasions, 

 for their sources of food supply, like those of the hogs, were very 

 limited at that season, for lack of native edible plants and seeds. 

 (See pp. 589, 590.) 



The Wood-rat can easily be distinguished from the other rats by 

 liaving a more hairy and less scaly tail, and especially by the pure 

 white, or nearly white, color of its under parts, while its back is 

 light chestnut-brown. It is smaller than the brown rat, and not so 

 stout. It is a native of the warmer parts of the Old World, but was 

 early introduced into the West Indies, Central America, and the 

 southern United States. 



c. — Common Hats and Mice; Bats. 



The Brown or Gray Rat (Mus decumanus Pallas) and the mouse 

 (M. miisculus L.) are very common in Bermuda, both in and about 

 the buildings and in the woods and fields, far away from houses. 

 We have no positive data as to when they were introduced, but the 

 mouse was probably there in the early years of the settlement. The 

 Gray Rat probably did not arrive till the middle of the 18th cen- 

 tury or later. 



The Black Rat (Mas rattus L.) was formerly very common, but 

 has been largely exterminated by the brown rat, which arrived 

 later, as in most other places in America. Hurdis states that it was 

 common about 1850. Jones, 1884, states that it was rare. This rat, 

 like the mouse, was probably introduced from Europe with the 

 early settlers, or from the West Indies on the "runaway frigate," in 

 1614. There are no native land mammals* in Bermuda, except a few 

 migrating North American bats. 



* J. M. Jones thought that he had seen a shrew, 1876, but it has not been 

 seen by others. 



A single specimen of a seal, supposed to be Phoca vitulina, was taken in 

 April, 1887. Its skin was preserved by Bartrara, and is still extant, but I did 

 not see it. Bartram recorded its capture in the Royal Gazette, at the time. It- 

 was also noticed by Hurdis (Rough Notes, p. 340). No other instance is known. 

 It might be the young of the West Indian Seal. 



