THE GNAWERS 



95 



Fir.. 77. — House Mouse. 



wildly, then shooting downward out of sight, being dragged 

 down by the clever gopher working at the roots. 



Allied to them are the 

 house rats (Fig. y6) and 

 the house mice (Fig. yy), 

 both among the enemies 

 of mankind. One of the 

 largest rats is the Bandi- 

 coot rat, which in India 

 is nearly fourteen inches 

 in length. The rats are 

 very intelligent and 

 clever, but do great damage to man. Being the carriers of 

 disease, their mere presence is a menace. In many large 

 cities a price has been placed upon them, it being known 

 that they are transmitters of the bubonic plague and pos- 

 sibly of other diseases. 



The rat is not a native of America. It was introduced 

 by sailing vessels. It came originally from Central Asia, 



appearing first in 

 Russia, in 1737. The 

 first ones reached 

 America in 1775, be- 

 coming known as the 

 wharf rat, a menace 

 to docks and embank- 

 ments. The black rat, 

 as well as the house 

 mouse, so universally 

 distributed over the country, is an importation from Asia. 

 The muskrat (Fig. y8) is famous for its house, made 



Fig. 78. — The Muskrat. 



