RATS. 



In 1868 H. H. Travers reported these brown rats as very 

 abundant in the Chatham Islands; and Captain Bollons, of the 

 " Hinemoa," states that they are very numerous round the home- 

 stead on Campbell Island. 



A few years ago, when a scare arose about the bubonic plague, 

 a feeble and intermittent crusade against rats was inaugurated, 

 especially in Auckland; but it was, as might have been expected, 

 absolutely futile. It is, of course, well known that rats are the 

 carriers of the plague germs, or at least that they harbour the 

 fleas which are the real carriers. In the fifth and sixth chapters 

 of I Samuel there is a very interesting account of the plague which 

 attacked the cities of Philistia, and which produced emerods that 

 is, haemorrhoids or swollen glands as a conspicuous symptom. 

 The lords of the Philistines, in sending back the ark of God to the 

 Israelites, because they thought it was the cause of the malady 

 which affected them, accompanied it by models of emerods in gold, 

 and also golden mice. These were probably golden rats, and seem 

 to show that in these early days, three thousand years ago, the 

 connection between the plague and the rats was well recognized. 



While brown rats are still very abundant, especially about the 

 towns, there is no doubt that the spread of weasels throughout the 

 country lias vastly diminished their numbers, especially in the 

 open, for a weasel prefers a rat to a rabbit any day. 



