ANIMALS OP 



the whole race was soon extinguished. The 

 frog also was an animal equally incapable of 

 combat or defence. It had been designedly 

 introduced into the kingdom of Ireland some 

 years before the Norway rat ; and it was seen 

 to multiply amazingly. The inhabitants 

 were pleased with the propagation of a harm- 

 less animal, that served to rid their fields of 

 insects; and even the prejudices of the 

 people were in its favour, as they supposed 

 that the frog contributed to render their 

 waters more wholesome. But the Norway 

 rat soon put a stop to their increase ; as these 

 animals were of an amphibious nature, they 

 pursued the frog to its lakes, and took it even 

 in its own natural element. I am, therefore, 

 assured, that the frog is once more almost ex- 

 tinct in that kingdom ; and that the Norway 

 rat, having no more enemies left there to de- 

 stroy, is grown less numerous also. 



We are not likely, therefore, to gain by the 

 destruction of our old domestics, since they 

 are replaced by such mischievous successors. 

 The Norway rat has the same disposition to 

 to injure us, with much greater power of mis- 

 chief. It burrows in the banks of rivers, 

 ponds, and ditches ; and is every year known 

 to do incredible damage to those mounds 

 that are raised to conduct streams, or to pre- 

 vent rivers from overflowing. In these holes, 

 which it forms pretty near the edge of the 

 water, it chiefly resides during the summer, 

 where it lives upon smaH animals, fish, and 

 corn. At the approach of winter, it comes 

 nearer the farm houses ; burrows in their 

 corn, eats much, and damages still more than 

 it consumes. But nothing that can be eaten 

 seems to escape its voracity. It destroys 

 rabbits, poultry, and all kinds of game ; and, 

 like the pole-cat, kills much more than it can 

 carry away. It swims with great ease, dives 

 with great celerity, and easily thins the fish- 

 pond. In short, scarce any of the feebler 

 animals escape its rapacity, except the mouse, 

 which shelters itself in its little hole, where 

 the Norway rat is too big to follow. 



These animals frequently produce from 

 fifteen to thirty at a time ; a and usually bring 

 forth three times a year. This great increase 

 would quickly be found to over-run the whole 



a Billion, vol. xvii. p. 2. 



country, and render our assiduity to destroy 

 them fruitless, were it not, happily for us, that 

 they eat and destroy each other. The same 

 insatiable appetite that impels them to indis- 

 criminate carnage, also incites the strongest 

 to devour the weakest, even of their own kind. 

 The large male rat generally keeps in a hole 

 by itself, and is dreaded by its own species, 

 as the most formidable enemy. In this man- 

 ner the number of these vermin is kept within 

 due bounds; and when their increase be- 

 comes injurious to us, it is repressed by their 

 own rapacity. 



But beside their own enmities among each 

 other, all the stronger carnivorous quadru- 

 peds have natural antipathies against them. 

 The dog, though he detests their flesh, yet 

 openly declares his alacritv to pursue them ; 

 and attacks them with great animosity. Such 

 as are trained up to killing these vermin, de- 

 spatch them often with a single squeeze : 

 but those dogs that show any hesitation, are 

 sure to come off* but indifferently ; for the rat 

 always takes the advantage of a moment's de- 

 lay, and instead of waiting for the attack, be- 

 comes the aggressor, seizing its pursuer by 

 the lip, and inflicting a very painful and dan- 

 gerous wound. From the inflammation, and 

 other angry symptoms that attend this ani- 

 mal's bite, some have been led to think that 

 it was in some measure venomous ; but it is 

 likely that the difficulty of the wound's heal- 

 ing, arises merely from its being deep and 

 lacerated by the teeth, and is rather a con- 

 sequence of the figure of the instruments that 

 inflict it, than any venom they may be sup- 

 posed to possess. 



The cat is another formidable enemy of 

 this kind ; and yet the generality of our cats 

 neither care to attack it, nor to feed upon it 

 when killed. The cat is a more prudent 

 hunter than the dog, and will not be at the 

 pains to take or combat with an enemy that 

 is not likely to repay her time and danger. 

 Some cats, however, will pursue and take the 

 rat ; though often not without an obstinate 

 resistance. If hungry, the cat will sometimes 

 eat the head; but, in general, she is merely 

 content with her victory. 



A foe much more dangerous to these ver- 

 min is the weasel. This animal pursues them 

 with avidity, and being pretty nearly. of their 



