Rats — Real and Unreal 



British species, still examples are reported at times. 

 These are surmised to be importations by means of 

 sailing-vessels. Specimens may be seen of the true 

 Black Rat in most museums. It is an animal about 

 7 inches in the body, with a tail quite as long. The 

 head is rather slender and the muzzle pointed and 

 somewhat projecting. The ears are ovate in shape, 

 inclined to be smooth rather than hairy, and, as its 

 name implies, it is black in colour, but this fades into 

 a lighter shade on the underparts. This Black Rat 

 is said to breed three or four times during the year, 

 and has six to ten youngsters at each litter. 



There is still another Black Rat, so called, which is 

 not infrequently confused with the one just named. 

 This is the Water Vole {Arvicola Amphibia)^ and is 

 aquatic in habits. It is exclusively a vegetable feeder, 

 and may be seen about the sides of ponds, streams, 

 and waterways, usually where quietness reigns. In 

 general colour it is blackish, but a greyish tint may 

 be discovered upon close inspection. An adult 

 Water Vole will measure 8 inches, with a tail half 

 that length. This rodent can be quite easily distin- 

 guished from the true Rats even by a casual observer, 

 merely by the colour, if nothing else. Apart from this, 

 the Water Vole is stouter in build, has a denser coat, 

 its ears are small and its tail short. True Rats, on the 

 other hand, have longish bodies, are smoother in the 

 fur as a rule, and have prominent ears and long tails. 



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