THE BROWN RAT 65 



of the barrel opposite the baits to prevent the lid from tilting in 

 more than one direction. 



Professor C. C. Nutting informs the writer of a unique but ap- 

 parently successful method of driving out rats from a dwelling. 

 He has tried it and his experience may be briefly mentioned here. 

 Upon returning to his Iowa City home in late summer at the close 

 of his vacation, Professor Nutting found the cellar of his house 

 literally overrun with rats. Holes and burrows had been made In 

 the walls and floor of the cellar and the animals were evidently 

 well satisfied with their lot. Upon discovering this state of affairs, 

 Professor Nutting promptly placed about two tablespoonfuls of red 

 pepper in each burrow and rat hole that he could find. The result 

 was that every rat on the premises disappeared very shortly and 

 reinfestation has not since occurred. 



Poisons offer one of the quickest, surest, and most efficient meth- 

 ods of combating mice and rats, especially around barns and out- 

 buildings; but the odor arising from the dead animals renders this 

 method inadvisable in occupied dwellings. Extreme caution should 

 be observed in the use of any poison, and care should be taken 

 not to place it or the poisoned baits where children or domestic 

 animals of any kind can reach it. Pains should be taken, also, 

 to see that the bodies of any rats or mice that have been killed by 

 poison have been disposed of either by burying or burning them. 



Strychnia sulphate (dry crystals) may be inserted into such baits 

 as raw meat, toasted cheese, or vvienerwurst cut into pieces. The 

 baits are then placed along the runs or burrows. A strychnin syrup 

 is easily made, and oatmeal! wheat or corn poisoned by soaking in 

 this semi-liquid. The syrup is prepared by dissolving a half ounce 

 of strychnia sulphate in a pint of boiling water; a pint of thick 

 sugar syrup is then added, and the whole stirred thoroughly. If 

 oatmeal is used as a bait, it should be thoroughly moistened with 

 the syrup ; wheat, corn, or other grain should be soaked over night 

 in the syrup. Smaller amounts of this poison preparation can be 

 made by using the proportions given above. 



Barium carbonate is a cheap, effective, and comparatively slow- 

 acting poison without taste or smell -. and after rats or mice have 

 partaken of it they usually leave the premises in search of water. 

 This feature adapts the poison, in a measure, for use in occupied 

 dwellings. Oatmeal is a good bait, and mixed with about one-eighth 

 5 



