BLACK RAT. 53 



very slightly covered with hair : the fore feet, as 

 in the brown rat, have only four toes, with a small 

 claw in place of a fifth : the tail is nearly naked, 

 coated with a scaly skin, and marked into nume- 

 rous divisions or rings. Like the former species 

 this animal breeds frequently, and commonly brings 

 about six or seven young at a time. Sometimes 

 they increase so fast as to overstock the place of 

 their abode, in which case they fight and devour 

 each other. It is said that this is the reason why 

 these animals, after being: extremely troublesome, 



ZJ v 



sometimes disappear suddenly. Various are the 

 methods made use of for the expulsion of rats from 

 the places they frequent ; among which none is 

 more singular than that mentioned by Gesner, 

 who tells us he had been informed that if a rat be 

 caught and a bell tied round its neck, and then 

 set at liberty, it will drive away the rest wherever 

 it goes. This expedient appears to be occasion- 

 ally practised in modern times with success*. Its 



* A gentleman travelling through Mecklenburgh about thirty 

 years ago, was witness to the following curious circumstance in 

 the post-house in New Stargard. After dinner the landlord 

 placed on the floor a large dish of soup, and gave a loud whistle. 

 Immediately there came into the room a Mastiff, a fine Angora 

 Cat, an old Raven, and a remarkably large Rat, with a bell about 

 its neck. The four animals went to the dish, and without dis- 

 turbing each other, fed together ; after which the Dog, Cat, and 

 Rat, lay before the fire, while the raven hopped about the room. 

 The landlord, after accounting for the familiarity which existed 

 among the animals, informed his guest that the Rat was the most 

 useful of the four, for the noise he made had completely freed the 

 house from the rats and mice with which it was before infested. 



