THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



300 



The Mils r/iganieus is found in many places on the 

 coast of Coromandel, in Mysore, and in several parts of 

 Bengal between Calcutta and Hurdwar. It is partial 

 to dry situations, and seldom found far from the habita- 

 tions of man. The low caste Hindoos eat the flesh of 

 this rat with much relish. 



It is one of the most mischievous of the whole of the 

 rat species : it burrows to a great depth, and will in this 

 way force an entry under the foundations of granaries 

 and storehouses. Mud or unburnt brick-walls prove 

 no security against its intrusions : and it commonly 

 perforates such buildings in all directions. In gardens 

 it is equally destructive, rooting and burrowing after the 

 seeds of all leguminous plants sown within its haunts. 

 Cucurbitaceous plants and fruits also suffer by its de- 

 predations. And when grain and vegetables are not to 

 be had, it will attack poultry. 



The bite of this animal is dangerous : indeed Captain 

 Hardwicke mentions an instance of hydrophobia ensuing 

 where a European officer in the Hon. East India Com- 

 pany Artillery, while stationed at Futtehgur, died under 

 a confirmed hydrophobia, in about twelve days after 

 having been bitten by one of these rats. 



The two peculiar descriptions of the species rat, I 

 have never seen referred to in any book of natural his- 

 tory. To the Transactions of the Linnean Society we 

 are indebted for many a valuable page in our Natural 

 Histories. 



Rats have sometimes been the subject of a special 

 treatise. A work was published in the year 1768, called 

 "The Universal Directory for taking alive and destroying 

 rats, and all other kinds of four-footed and winged ver- 

 min, in a method hitherto unattempted ; calculated for 

 the use of the gentleman, the farmer, and the warrener ; 

 by Robert Smith, Rat-catcher to the Prin- 

 cess Amelia !" Thus we find that a rat-catcher was 

 formerly a distinguished personage. 



The author of the work alluded to first enters upon 

 a long discussion on the Norway rat, which he says was 

 originally brought from that country to England in 

 ships trading for timber : he also states that this rat is 

 sometimes erroneously termed the Hanover rat. He 

 says there are few^buildings either in town or country, 

 that are not pestered with them. 



We suggest that in order to discover the places where 

 they intrude, some fine sand should be sifted about, by 

 which means their foot-marks may be easily traced. 

 This, as we have often heard, is an infallible method by 

 which to betray all sorts ef four-footed vermin, and 

 indeed many a two-footed thief has been detected in the 

 same manner. 



Undoubtedly these Norway rats are very prolific, 

 bringing forth twelve young ones at a time, and breeding 

 three or four times in the course of a year. 



The work above referred to contains excellent en- 

 gravings of traps, with full and useful hints for catching 

 these troublesome pests. 



Then there is an opposition work published in the year 

 1783, called " The Universal Directory for taking alive, 

 or -destroying rats and mice, by a method hitherto un- 

 attempted ; and calculated as vrell for the use of tbips 



and houses, as that of farmers and gardeners ; by 

 Thomas Swaine, of Greenwich, Kent, Ratcatcher to 

 His Majesty's Royal Navy, Victualling Offices, SfC. 



In the preface, the author apologises to his readers 

 for the high price of his little book, which he fears will 

 " appear great beyond measure," if regard be had only 

 to its bulk. 



But the author hopes " more liberally of his pur- 

 chasers ;" that they will measure their pockets by its 

 contents. He sells them " not merely a book, but his 

 art ;" which he promises faithfully to disclose : though 

 he gives as a reason for thus making known the great 

 secrets of his art, that he finds " infirmities are advanc- 

 ing upon him," and, as the consequence of this great 

 disclosure will be " the certain decrease of his future 

 employment," he presumes they will not think the price 

 an " unreasonable compensation for the loss he is about 

 to sustain." 



He then tells us at starting, that the black rat is the 

 old genuine house rat : no other was known in and 

 about houses for many ages in this country. The house 

 rat he distinguishes from the Norwegian rat, inasmuch 

 as it lies chiefly in ceilings and wainscots in dwelling, 

 houses, and does not, like the Norway rat, " burrow 

 and run into shores." 



Throughout his book, Mr. Swaine recommends the 

 use of his poisonous paste, giving minute directions 

 where to place it, all which are very well as applied to 

 houses and out. buildings (with the usual precautionary 

 measures) ; but when he recommends its being thrust 

 into the runs of rats in corn stacks, pig-sties, and fowl- 

 houses, we think the remedy worse than the disease. 

 The original receipt for making Swaine's paste is as 

 follows : " Take a deep glazed pan that will hold about 

 two quarts, and put therein a pound of white arsenic in 

 powder ; pour into a tin-pot a teacupful of water, 

 adding thereto i lb. loaf sugar; place the tin pot over 

 the fire, and stir till the sugar is dissolved and the water 

 just boils up ; then put the mixture into the pan con- 

 taining the arsenic, and stir the same well. This done, 

 add some fresh-ground wheat-meal, and knead it as stiff 

 as possible. In absence of wheat-meal, oatmeal and 

 flour will answer the same purpose." 



Though this paste is so simply made, and the ingre- 

 dients within reach, in every land, yet he hints at the ex- 

 pectation he entertains, that many gentlemen from the 

 West Indies and other foreign countries will probably 

 " please to encourage the author by sending over to 

 him for some of his paste !" and also for some of "these 

 books!" adding, that "they may be assured of 

 receiving ample compensation for their trouble and 

 expense." 



A list or account is then subjoined of the number of 

 rats he has destroyed in his Majesty's ships of war, with 

 the names of the ships. Among the largest figures are — 

 Prince of Wales ship, 1,015 rats killed; the Diligente, 

 665 ; the Bedford, 475 ; the Duke, 2,475 ; the Achilles, 

 704 ; the Bufi'alo, 705. These are selected from fifty 

 or sixty other vessels, to the names of which figures are 

 attached as to the rats killed aboard them. The whole 

 aim of the author appears to be to induce people to buy 



