Gj\a\¥1N(; aniMzVls — rodents 133 



the bite of a rat is highly dangerous, frequently 

 proving fatal both to dogs and man. 



Many stories are told of rats attacking children 

 and gnawing babies in their cradles, also of their 

 getting into the cabins on board ship and gnawing 

 the nails of passengers sleeping there. 



We witnessed the ravages of rats which penetrated 

 a stable at Hindhead. Not only did they consume 

 the leather of the harness, but they gnawed the 

 pony^s hoofs right down to the flesh. Some years 

 ago Frank Buckland found that rats were gnawing the 

 feet of the elephants in the Zoo. The nails and quicks 

 were eaten off and the flesh tunnelled. Similar 

 attacks were made on the hippopotamus, who seems 

 to have been successful in crushing his assailants. 



Nothing animal or vegetable, alive or dead, is 

 proof against the attacks of rats. House, store, ship, 

 poultry yard and game preserve alike are invaded, 

 and many a time the lives of owl and kestrel have 

 been sacrificed for the misdeeds of rats. 



An amusing brochure attributed to an old Indian 

 officer who was a great admirer of the courage and 

 resource of rats is quoted by Mr. Millais : 



" A rat was thrown overboard in the Indian 

 Ocean, and the passengers assembled with pleasurable 

 feelings to see it drown. Did it meet its fate with 

 equanimity ? Far from it. A gull settled on the 

 sea close to the drowning rodent with joyful anticipa- 

 tion. But the rat at once seized it and killed it, and 

 hoisting one wing of the defunct gull as a sail, waved 

 a paw in farewell to the astonished passengers and 

 sailed for the nearest coast." 



