I 



MICE AND RATS. 193 



we know little more than that it is uncommon ; while in 

 Southern Italy it has been driven away by the Alexandrine 

 Rat. In Northern Africa and Egypt, on the other hand, it 

 appears still to hold its own. Further eastward it becomes 

 more rare, but it occurs in the Caucasus, Georgia, and the 

 Caspian district; while it has been introduced by vessels 

 into parts of India, the Philippines, and even New Zealand. 

 It was introduced into the New World about 1554, and 

 is now found in both continents, as it is in the West 

 Indies. 



That the Black Rat was introduced into Britain from the 

 Continent, appears to be evident from the circumstance that 

 it is not mentioned as occurring here previous to the fifteenth 

 century, coupled with the fact that its remains are unknown in 

 the English cavern-deposits. It would seem, however, that 

 subsequently to its introduction it became pretty generally dis- 

 tributed in England and Wales until routed out by the Brown 

 Rat, and was known even in the Orkneys. There, however, it 

 is now completely exterminated, as it is in most districts of our 

 irea. In Argyllshire and Caithness it is unknown, but one 

 specimen was taken in Sutherland in 1879; while a small 

 :olonywas observed near Pitlochry in i860, and specimens are 

 occasionally taken in old houses in Edinburgh. Unknown in 

 S'orlhumberland, a colony existed in 1879 at Stockton-on-Tees, 

 n Durham ; and in 1883 it was stated still to linger among the 

 ■arms of Westmoreland. It would be tedious to mention the 

 solated occurrences of specimens of this Rat which have been 

 ecorded from various EngUsh counties from time to time 

 puring the last few years, more especially as many of these — 

 nd notably such as have been taken in or near sea-port towns 

 —have in all probability been imported by vessels. It may be 

 nentioned, however, that it still survived in Norfolk up to 

 bout 1834, while occasional specimens were met with for 



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