250 THE NORWAY OR BROWN RAT. 



in every respect, so voracious and destructive 

 as these. They not only devour in the fields 

 young Rabbets, Hares, and various kinds of winded 

 game, but they often get into hen-roosts, where, 

 like the Polecat, they generally destroy many more 

 than they are able to eat. They likewise gnaw in 

 pieces, clothes, furniture, paper, and leather ; in 

 short, nothing seems to come amiss to them. In- 

 stances have occurred of their even attacking Pigs 

 that have been put up to fatten: they have some- 

 times overcome these, and eaten through their 

 thick and tough hide, into the body. When other 

 provisions fall short, they are often known to de- 

 vour their own species; and it is to this propensity 

 that we are chiefly indebted for the number of the 

 animals being kept within any tolerable bounds. 



It is not, perhaps, generally known that the Nor- 

 way Rats will devour fruit, and particularly apples, 

 with great avidity. In the travels of Sonnini into 

 Greece, a somewhat singular instance of this pro- 

 pensity is related. Whilst his ship was at anchor in 

 the harbour of Rhodes, it was full of these destruc- 

 tive animals. A Greek bark, laden with apples, cast 

 anchor at a little distance from the vessel. The 

 French sailors, without making any noise, affixed 

 to her, during the night, a hawser, which they 

 drew tight, in order to serve as a bridge by 

 which the Rats might pass into the bark. The v 

 animals passed along the rope, without the ex- 

 ception 



