312 THE STORY OF A BIRD LOVER 



introduced there from Cayenne, where they abound 

 in great numbers ; but neither this toad nor the 

 ant in question achieved the results that had been 

 expected. As late as the year 1872 the rat pest 

 continued as great a menace as ever. 



To give an idea of the estimation in which the 

 planters held the destructive powers of the sugar- 

 cane rat, it may be stated that on large estates an 

 annual expenditure of no less a sum than two 

 hundred pounds sterling was set aside for rat- 

 catching, poisons, and destruction of the vermin 

 in various ways. It is not possible to estimate 

 altogether the total annual loss caused by these 

 vermin ; but the consensus of opinion of the 

 sugar growers seemed to be that it varied from 

 twenty to thirty per cent of the entire crop. 



As early as 18 16 Lunan suggested the capabili- 

 ties of the mongoose in these words : — 



" There is in India an animal called mungoose, which bears 

 a natural antipathy to rats. If this animal was introduced here 

 it might extirpate the whole race of these noxious vermin." 



It remained for the gentleman with whom we 

 were breakfasting to introduce a relentless enemy 

 of the rat. William Bancroft Espeut, Esq., was 

 a member of the Governor's Council. I was es- 

 pecially glad to meet him, and to learn from 

 his own lips how he brought the first of these 

 animals to the island. Having made arrange- 



