144 MORE MINOR HORRORS 



It is largely a burrowing animal, and makes 

 its nests in its burrows. M. rattus can also 

 burrow, but not so readily, and it nests not 

 in the burrow, but in some obscure corner. 

 A curious instance of the nesting habits of 

 this species was found during the rebuilding 

 of my ' lodgings ' in 1911. In searching under 

 the boards of the floor of the rooms of our 

 Foundress the Lady Margaret, Mother of Henry 

 VII, now the drawing-room, the workmen found 

 the mummified remains of four rats, which 

 had taken to themselves coverings or shrouds ; 

 and upon investigation these proved to consist 

 of a vellum deed relating to the College, some 

 paper documents relating to Thomas Thompson, 

 who was Master of the College from 1510 to 

 1517, and some fragments of printed matter 

 which turned out to be part of an early Virgil ; 

 four leaves of a Horace ; two leaves of a 

 primer of Wynkyn de Worde ; and finally a 

 leaf of a work by Caxton. In addition, four 

 playing-cards of the sixteenth century were 

 found. 



The brown rat frequents barns, granaries, 

 stables, slaughter-houses, rivers, ponds, ditches, 

 drains, gullies, and sewers— it is, in fact, 

 sometimes called the sewer-rat. It is less 

 particular in its food than the black rat, 

 which is more usually found in grain-stores. 

 Although in Bombay the relative numbers 



