44 I* ATS. 



settleiTjent?, and are great travellers, and I prcsUiT:'^ 

 that they have already established themselves i.\ 

 this regioi). Both are supposed to have been 

 brought to England originally from India or Per- 

 sia. The Norway rat, notwithstanding its name, 

 is quite unknown in Scandinavia. He made hi^s 

 appearance in the Five Islands in 1768, arriving 

 upon the wreck of a Norway ship, and according 

 to Pennant was first seen in England about the 

 year 1723. He has made a national conquest ol 

 the black rat, and wherever lie has taken his resi- 

 dence, has quite extirpated it. According to Pen- 

 nant, the black rat was indigenous in Eng- 

 land, while Shaw supposes that he was derived 

 from Asia. Pennant says that both rats and 

 mice were unknown to the new v.orld before it 

 was discovered by the Europeans, and the first rats 

 it ever knew were introduced there by a ship fronr 

 Antwerp. Shaw says that the black rat was im- 

 ported into South America in 1554, and is suppo- 

 sed to be a native of North America. I have 

 seen in the city of New-York both the Norway 

 and the black rat, and wherever they go they will 

 do mischief. Taking up their habitation in 

 houses adjacent to the canals, they will perforate 

 the banks for drink and food. 



The mus amphibius, or water rat which bur- 

 rows in banks about ponds and ditches, is a still 



