1889-90-] Rats mid the Balance of Nature. 323 



IN.— RATS AND THE BALANCE OF NATURE. 



By Mr TOM SPEEDY. 

 {Read Jan. 22, 1S90.) 



The subject of rats and their enemies was, as you are all aware, 

 recently discussed at great length in the columns of the ' Scots- 

 man ' and other newspapers. As one of those who took part 

 in that discussion, I regarded the subject not merely in the 

 aspect of its general interest, but as more far-reaching in 

 importance than many would at first sight believe. It is a 

 subject not merely affecting the industrial returns of the agri- 

 culturist, but if not checked must at no distant date affect our 

 future food-supplies. Apart altogether from this important 

 aspect of the subject, I felt interested in the discussion as a 

 lover of natural history, and was therefore induced to read all 

 the correspondence which appeared in the columns of the daily 

 press, so far as these came under my notice. It will not, I 

 am sure, be deemed discourteous or hypercritical to state that 

 there was imported into that discussion very much that was 

 irrelevant, and not a little that had no better foundation than 

 that of pure speculation. 



The rat pest, as is generally known, is pressing itself on the 

 attention of agriculturists in most parts of the country. Within 

 a circuit of some forty or fifty miles of Edinburgh it has been 

 severely felt ; while south of the Tweed, especially in Lincoln- 

 shire, the mischievous visitation has been keenly experienced. 

 Some estimate of the extent of the rat pest may be formed 

 when it is stated that as many as from 2000 to 3000 rats 

 have been killed in some places in little more than a fortnight. 

 In a brief sporting excursion in Berwickshire for a couple of 

 days last autumn, I observed, in passing, certain corn -stacks 

 which had been built in the open fields that were literally 

 riddled and honeycombed from top to bottom by rats. Why 

 these stacks had not been thrashed, and the grain turned to 

 account before falling a prey to the " rat plague," was to me 

 unaccountable. That, however, was the farmer's concern, and 

 not mine. 



Why rats are increasing ; why they are betaking themselves 



