711 



Uats. I'dson, two good cats, and steel traps failed 

 Id make any perceptible impression on them. Fi- 

 nally I took a shot gun and whenever a Rat was seen 

 ro poke its head out of a hole or from under a chicken 

 house or run across the lawn a load of tine shot was 

 sent after it. In the course of a week about a dozen 

 \vi If l<illc(i. This made them very shy and they were 

 larely seen about in the daytime, but they remained 

 about the buildings and continued to do uiuch mis 

 chief in the night time. I went away from liome and 

 was absent two weeks. During this time the Kals 

 liad not been shot at and they were often .seen aboul 

 the place in daytime. I determined to adept a new 

 mode of warfaie, as it had been suggested to me that 

 if a Eat was crippled with shot it would be far bet 

 li'i- than killing it outright. I stationtd myself at a 

 point w liere the animals usually came out, and, in 

 two days, shot six wilh a .22 auxiliary barrel, the cart 

 ridges for which were loaded witb about 70 pellets of 

 mustard-seed shot. Two of the animals were very 

 near when shot at and both were unable to get away 

 from the holes, but the others were only crippled and 

 made their escape. Two days after the occurrence 

 rhe Rats left the ]dace. Since that time the same 

 plan has been adopted when the Rats made their aji 

 pearance and as soon as two or three wounded mics 

 go.t away the rest .speedily left the premises. 



STRYCHNINE .\ND ARSENIC. 



These dangerous and deadly poisons are often em 

 ployed with good success to kill Rals. The use of 

 these agents, however, is attended witli much dan 

 ger, and often the animals which eat the poisoned food 

 liidc umh'r lloors, in walls and otlici- places whei'e they 



