c 



CHAPTER VIII. 



RATS. 



HESE rodents are the greatest mammal 

 pests in America. In fact rats do many 

 millions of dollars worth of damage in 

 North America annually. They were in- 

 troduced into this country in 1775 or about a 

 hundred years before the ferret. Rats not only 

 do an immense financial damage, but as well are 

 the means, or method, of spreading some fatal 

 human diseases. As ferrets and rats are natural 

 enemies, the subject is of sufficient importance to 

 go somewhat into detail. 



The United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture some years ago issued Farmers' Bulletin 369 

 entitled "How to Destroy Rats," from which the 

 following extracts are taken : 



Introduction. — The brown or Norway rat (Mus nor- 

 vegicus) is the worst mammal pest in the United States, the 

 losses from its depredations amounting to many millions of 

 dollars yearly — to more, probably, than the losses from all 

 other injurious mammals combined. 



Several species of rats are known as house rats, including 

 the black rat (Mus rattus), the roof rat (Mus alexandrinus), 

 and the brown rat (Mus norvegicus). Of these the last is 

 the commonest and most widespread in this country. Not 



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