VORACITY OF THE BROWN RAT. 553 
The Brown Rat is well fitted for its exterminating mission, as it is a fierce and 
dangerous animal, and can inflict very painful wounds with its long incisor teeth. An 
unarmed man would be quite impotent against the attacks of even a small party of old 
sewer Rats, while a large body of these animals would make but. short work of any man, 
however well he might be armed. There is a wonderful power of combination in the 
Brown Rat, which enables it to act in concert with its companions, and renders it a truly 
formidable animal when it chooses to make a combined attack upon man or beast. A 
number of these animals have been known to attack a cat, and inflict such grievous 
injuries that the poor creature had to be killed as soon as its evil plight was discovered by 
its owner. Even a single Rat is no despicable antagonist, and, according to the obser- 
vations of practical men, could beat off a ferret in fair fight, and would foil any but 
a properly trained dog. 
It is an exceedingly voracious animal, eating all kinds of strange food, and not sparing 
its own species in times of scarcity. Like the wolves, the Rats will alw: ays fall upon and 
devour one of their companions if it should chance to be wounded, and excite their 
BROWN RAT.—Mus Dectimanus. 
carnivorous passions by the sight and smell of flowing blood. Tf a Rat should be caught 
by a foot or a leg in a steel trap, its former companions will often fly upon the poor 
captive and tear it to pieces, instead of endeavouring to effect its release. As in such 
instances the imprisoned limb is left in the teeth of the trap, it has been erroneously 
supposed that the Rat had severed its own limb in order to set itself free. 
From some strange cause, the male Rats far outnumber the females, the proportion 
being about eight of the former to three or four of the latter. This disproportion of the 
sexes may possibly Is caused by the cannibalistic habits of the Rat, the flesh of the female 
being more tender than that of the opposite sex. Whatever may be the cause, it is clear 
that the wider increase of these creatures is greatly checked by the comparative paucity 
of females. 
There is scarcely a greater plague to the farmer, butcher, sailor, provision merchant, or 
poultry keeper than the Rat, whose mingled craft, daring, and perpetual hunger require 
the greatest watchfulness and the most elaborate precaution. The havoe which an army 
of Rats will make among the corn-ricks is almost incredible, while they carry on their 
depredation with so much secrec y that an unpractised eye would think the stacks to be 
sound and unharmed. Fortunately they can easily be dislodged from any rick by taking 
it down, and replacing it on proper “staddles, taking great care that no stray weeds or 
branches afford a foothold to these persevering marauders. While the rick is being 
