900 JAMAICA. 



fitories have fometinies been found tea-fpoons, thimbles, leaden bul- 

 lets, coat and fleeve buttons, beads, and the like. This paflion for 

 hoarding is very unaccountable, as they feem to poflefs too much na- 

 tural cunning not to know the difference between any fuch fubftances, 

 and others that are proper for food. They are faid to devour the 

 black-houfe rat j in proof of which it has been remarked, that the 

 latter are not near fo numerous as they ufed to be before the arrival of 

 thefe foreigners. Their moft favourite aliment, however, feenis to be 

 iifli ; fo that, whenever it is intended to deftroy them by poifon, there 

 is no bait fo effed:ual as fprats, or other fmall fry, well impregnated 

 with arfenic, mixed, for better difguife, with a fmall quantity of 

 dripping-fat, or butter, and laid near their haunts. Browne has claffed 

 this fpecies with the beaver, calling it Cajlor ; but there is very little 

 analogy between them, either in ftrufture, food, or manner of living. 

 It is true, the tail of this rat is thicker and fliorter than that of the 

 other fpecies, and without hair ; its feet are webbed ; its teeth are 

 long, yellow, and like thofe of the fquirrel. It is fond of fifh, and 

 amphibious ; that is, it is furniflied with means of feeking its prey in 

 the water, as well as upon land; but docs not, like the beaver, take 

 up its conftant abode near the water; in fliort, it might, with equal 

 reafon, have been cl nffed with the alligator. The black houfe-rat was 

 originally brought hither from England with the (hipping. There are 

 abundance of them wild in the woodi, where they make their nefls in 

 thick fhrubby trees. I have frequently feen them on the branches, 

 and once found a nefl, conftructed fomewhat like the Englifh mag- 

 py's, coated with clay on the inliJe, lined with mofs, and roofed at 

 top with fmall twigs, dried grafs, and other like materials, adapted 

 to keep out the rain. Thefe particulars feem to give the rat-kind fome 

 affinity to the fquirrel ; and their tail, in fa(51, conftitutes the effentlal 

 difference between them, conHdered in their ftate of nature. The two 

 other fpeci^^s are prubably indigenous to the ifland, and are both what 

 are called field- rats, in contradiitinflion to thofe which are domeflic. 

 The larger is of a light-afh, or greyifii colour, on the back, and other 

 part?, except the belly, which is intirely white. This fubfifts almoft 

 wholly upon the fugar-cane, and therefore generally termed the caiie- 

 rat ; from the nature of its food the flefh acquires a lufcious and very 

 delicate flavour, as I am informed by thofe who have eaten them, 



when 



