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THE WHITE RAT AS A PET 



89 



far more jDowerful than our own eyes, and give their possessor 

 advantages over most other nocturnal animals. The writer 

 well remembers the actions of the albino rat pictured. Dining the 

 day it was not very active, making little effort to get away from 

 a person handling it; but at night it became another creature. 

 Then it would speed off whenever given opportunity, and avoid 

 capture as long as it could do so. Running, jimiping, dodging, 

 twisting its head about and flashing its blood-red eyes, like balls 

 of fire, upon its pursuer, it would outrun, outdodge and invariably 

 outwit him. To catch it was an accomplishment well worth while, 

 as William and his little brother always thought, and many was 

 the good romp that they had with it. 



White rats are not very popular as pets at the present time. 



This is partly 

 due to the 

 aversion that 

 people have 

 for animals 

 that resemble 

 the so-called 

 house-rat, and 

 partly to the 

 lack of knowl- 

 edge concern- 

 ing the nature 

 and habits of 

 white ,rats. 

 As knowledge 

 of this kind 

 increases, re- 

 spectability 

 and favor will 

 be bestowed 

 upon white 

 rats, and 

 event uaUy 

 these animals 

 will attain the 



popularity that they deserv^e. Comparatively few of our animal 

 pets^are so kind and gentle, so beautiful and^so interesting. 



Junior 



