502 



lowing autlicnfic facts. 

 1744, the surgeon of a manof-wai- ob- 

 served the eggs rapidly dccicasiiijj from 

 the sick sea-store ; and intimated <o his 

 mates, that he suspected they took some 

 unwarrantable iibertics. The yoiin^ 

 gentleujen, conscious of innocence, were 

 highly ailVoiifed; but the rn^gs wore 

 gone, they alone had access where they 

 lay, and they could only deny the charge. 

 One of them said to the other, it might 

 be possible that the sailors had a false 

 key, and they ought to watch for their 

 detection. They provided themselves 

 with a dark lanthorn, and, well armed, 

 waited tiie depredators. Soon after 

 midnight a great movement near the 

 cask where the eggs were packed in- 

 duced them cautiously to turn the lan- 

 Ihorn. They beheld a vast number of 

 rats climbing up, and kept very still to 

 observe the issue ; in a sliort time they 

 saw the party of rats return, each with 

 an egg under his chin. They next day 

 informed the surgeon; he had the re- 

 maining eggs taken from the cask, and 

 placed in a smtdler dish, supported by a 

 table, the feet of wiiicli receded so far, 

 that the rats could not get up. He at- 

 tended with the dark lanthorn, saw the 

 invaders ascend the barrel, and come 

 away disappointed ; they prowled about 

 a few minutes before they discovered 

 the eggs. One of the men employed in 

 their removal had left a spar leaning to 

 the table ; this was soon perceived by 

 the rats, and some got up with alacrity. 

 The surgeon, by a stealthy movement, 

 took away the spar before the whole 

 party cHected a lodgment ; but tliey 

 that had obtained possession, clinging 

 togeflicr, made a pathway to the ground, 

 and their eounadcs passed over their 

 backs to the table ; nor were they long 

 till each retreated in liie same way M'ilh 

 an egg under his chin, whieli he would 

 have carried off had not the gentlemen 

 interfered. 



In the year 1776, a sagacious coun- 

 tryman, whose vciacity was well known, 

 saw, very early iu tlie morning, a rat 

 led by another to a well; he informed 

 some of his acqiiaintanccs, who accom- 

 panied him to that spot about the same 

 hour next day. 'I'licy saw the rats had 

 in their months a straw, by which a 

 blind animal was conducted by one 

 that enjoyed the facnlt- of vision, and 

 after quenching his thirst he was brought 

 back to his hole. These instances, and 

 those formerly given of tiie intelligence 

 pertaining to the lower creation, ought 

 to inculcste humanity in their lords, 

 1 



Sagacity of Ratai [Jan. 1, 



In the year endowed with reasoning powers and « 

 sense of future responsibility. 



As your Magazine is so universally 

 read, permit mo to avail myself of it to 

 make known some hints concerning 

 an improvement in the method ibr dry- 

 ing grain. Much is devoured by rats 

 and mice while on the kiln, and cer- 

 tainly we might invent cast-iron .stoves, 

 scoured from depredation: .suppose the 

 dimension required to be twenty-four 

 feet by eighteen, we shall divide the 

 stove into several compartments, for 

 convenience in carriage at a distance, 

 and to save fuel, by communicating tho 

 heat below and above the com. Six 

 shallow boxes, three feet by four, with 

 a fence on tho upper part at one side, 

 and both ends ; the fence at one end 

 turning down on a hinge, that the grain 

 may be more easily slioveled into 

 troughs when dry. I'lic fence is in- 

 tended to keej) tlie grain from running 

 over, and the side* without a fence is to 

 join to its fellow wlieu the work sliall 

 be put together for use. The outer 

 side to have a small door for receiving 

 lire, and the upper and lower plates to 

 have at each corner sockets, where 

 posts arc to be inserted; the lowest posts 

 made to recede so far, (hat, though rats 

 ascend tl;e supporters, they may be 

 stopped in their progress, by their na- 

 tural incapacity of loco-motion, with tha 

 back downwards, in a horizontal po- 

 sition. The posts that support the two 

 lowest boxes, to be at least a foot and 

 half in iieight. Those that are to sus- 

 tain the pair of boxes, raised over the 

 first, must be according to the depth of 

 the fence, allowing space to turn the 

 grain, that it may dry equally, and the 

 third row to be raised according to si- 

 milar rules, must be surmounted by a 

 shelter of boards, projecting beyond the 

 extremities, that vermin may not be 

 able to make their way off the joists of 

 the house ; and, for the same cause, lb© 

 stove nuist stand clear of all other 

 bodies. A ladder must be used for 

 reaching the upper part, but the same 

 objection is no less relevant against 

 common kilns, and there is much less 

 facility in getting round them. In new 

 farm steadings, our apjtaratus might be 

 connected with a threshing machine, 

 and the expence of a east-iron stove, 

 and of the platforms, troughs, shovels, 

 and chests, described in your Magazine 

 for September, page 128, would not ex- 

 ceed the ordinary cost of less service- 

 able buildings, while the saving of grain 

 would iu oue year repay every disburse* 

 jaicul; 



