THE 



NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 



Vol. 13 March, 1917 No. 3 



. . , 



The White Rat as a Pet 



H. D. Bailey 



Professor of Biology, Muhlenberg College 

 With illustrations by the Author 



The little boys in the accompanying photographs have had 

 many animal pets, but the one they loved most — and it is not 

 improper to use the word love in this connection — was the white 

 rat shown in the views. 



Happy was the day when they obtained this beautiful animal, 

 and happy were all of the days, the days of play and companion- 

 ship, that they spent with it. There are persons, I suppose, who 

 doubt that a rat can be a companion to a human being, but let 

 such persons argue the matter with the little boys pictured; the 

 latter will soon convince them that their doubts are unwarranted, 

 and, moreover, will tell them a nimiber of very surprising facts 

 about rats. 



They will show them, for one thing, that rats, and particularly 

 white rats, are not the dangerous and repulsive creatures that 

 most people believe them to be. "Why, you don't know anything 

 about rats," William, the older lad, will say frankly, when he 

 detects the falseness and injustice of any statement made about 

 his pet. "Here, I'll show you one." And he will go to the box 

 and get his pet. 



"Watch out, lad, it will bite you," the observer may say. 



"No it won't. White rats don't bite," the child will answer. 



"But you shouldn't let it crawl up so close to your face. It 

 might hurt you sometime." 



"Oh, no. It won't hurt anybody. Now watch it crawl in my 

 pocket. See, there! Now watch it peep out." 



"But it may bite you, Wihiam. You can't trust a rat." 



"I'm not afraid. Why, I played with it hundreds of times. 

 It likes to play. See here!" 



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