Class I. 



RAT. 



113 



Two cutting teeth in each jaw. 

 Four toes before, five behind. 

 Very (lender tail ; naked, or very (lightly haired. 



XV. RAT. 



Mus domellicus major, feu Mus rattus. Lin.fyfl.^i, 



Rattus. Raiifyn. quad. 217. Mus Cauda longa fubnuda cor- 



Meyer's an. ii. Tab. 83. pore fufco cinerercente. 



Gef'iier quad. 731. Faun. Suec. 33. 



Mus Cauda longiflima obfcure Mus Rattus, mus ciflrinarius. 



cinereus. BriJJon quad \i?>. Khin quad. 57. 



De Buffon, Tom. vii. p. 278. Br. Zool. 46. Syn. quad. No, 



Tab. 36. 226. 



\$. Black. 



THE rat is the moft pernicious of any of Manner: 

 our fmaller quadrupeds : our meat, corn, 

 paper, cloaths, furniture, in fliort every conveni- 

 ency of life is a prey to this deftrudlive creature : 

 nor does it confine itfelf to thefe ; but will make 

 equal havoke among our poultry, rabbets, or young 

 game. Unfortunately for us it is a domeftic animal, 

 always refiding in houfes, barns, or granaries ; and 

 nature has furnifhed it with fore-teeth of fuch 

 ftrength, as enable it to force its way through the 

 hardeft wood, or oldeft morter. It makes a lodge, 

 either for its day's refidence, or for a neft for its 



young.^ 



