British Gnawing Mammals 



especially throughout the winter season of the year. 

 These rodents do not, as a rule, infest buildings or 

 outhouses during the summer months, for the simple 

 reason that they can then earn a livelihood about 

 the ditch-sides or in the fields and woods. When the 

 vegetation is abundant and the grain crops are upon 

 the ground. Rats live sumptuously, and do not then 

 require to forage for provender. About the hedge- 

 rows they can easily find a callow brood of robins, or 

 in a rabbit's burrow in the bank-face they can rob 

 the warm nest of its contents. When, however, the 

 nestlings can mount the hawthorn twigs, and the 

 rabbits are able to visit the fields, and the grain is 

 garnered, the Rat finds its larder bare, and hunger sends 

 it towards the farm-buildings or similar shelter. Here 

 the animal finds its winter quarters, and here, too, 

 it enjoys the greatest variety of food. While the 

 ploughman builds his massive corn-stacks, the Rat 

 settles amongst the grain, and will live there throughout 

 the winter, with abundance of food around him. When 

 these stacks are thrashed out enormous numbers of 

 Rats are often dislodged, while the amount of grain 

 destroyed in the interval becomes a serious loss to the 

 farmer. 



Although Rats take kindly to such shelter, the 

 animals do not confine themselves absolutely to the 

 rickyard. They will infest a drain or burrow under 

 floors, or be equally at home amongst the rafters of a 

 building. No place is sacred to a Rat. 



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