THE NORWAY OR BROWN RAT. 249 



which happened to be very hot and dry, that they 

 one evening arrived, in immense multitudes,, from 

 the heaths of the river Samara, to the environs of 

 Ja'itzkoi-gorodok, the capital of theCossacs of Ja'ik. 

 The inhabitants say, that part of the animals entered 

 the town by climbing over the ramparts, and that 

 others passed through one of the gates. Since this 

 period, they have proved themselves a serious 

 scourge to the people; but what is peculiarly 

 deserving of remark is, that by far the greater part 

 of the Rats continue to reside only on the eastern 

 side of the principal street of the town. This 

 writer likewise informs us, that Serepta, a town 

 situated on the bank of the Volga, a few years be- 

 fore his arrival there, (in 1793,) was suddenly 

 infested by vast multitudes of Brown Rats. The 

 animals, however, after swimming over the mill- 

 dam, in open day, continued their route towards 

 Tzaritzin ! 



There were no Rats in North America till they 

 were transported thither by the European settlers ; 

 but their numbers are now increased so as to become 

 2i serious pest to the colonies.- The depredations 

 which they commit in the plantations are occasion- 

 ally very great indeed. 



The Brown Rats, wherever they have taken up 

 their residence amongst us, have entirely extir- 

 pated the formerly common kinds; and in Ireland 

 it is said that they have very nearly destroyed even 

 the whole race of frogs. Few animals are, indeed, 



S3 in 



