338 WILD LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



which large cans of various oils were stored, among them 

 being two or three containing herring-oil, a product, curiously 

 enough, boiled and extracted from the oily scum which floats 

 to the surface of the enormous keelers or tubs in which the 

 herrings are rinsed before ' riving ' on the spits for smoking. 

 Hundreds of thousands of herrings go through the tub 

 before the filthy water, thick with scales and blood, is let off 

 below. This oil is of a very greasy nature and takes a 

 long time to refine itself clear ; the cans in which it is stored 

 for the sailmaker's use are very lightly bunged, to allow 

 for the expansion and contraction caused by atmospheric 

 changes. 



"The sailmaker assured me that the black rats would mount 

 these cans and push over the bungs placed askew in the neck, 

 and when unable to reach the oil with a paw would dip in 

 their tails ! ' That's right,' said he. 



" ' Why don't they nibble your sails ? ' 



" ' Well,' he remarked, * before we dress a wherry's sail we 

 have to mix in a certain proportion of tar, and they draw a 

 line at a tarry flavour ! ' ' 



ALBINO Mus rattus 



On January 28th, 1907, one of my "specimen hunters," a 

 merry little fish-hawker, brought to my house a queer- 

 looking rat. 



" My cat only caught it a hour ago ! " said he, holding 

 the rat in one hand and his cap in the other. " It's a reg'lar 

 novelty, and she'd jist kilt two black 'uns afore she got that." 



" So you've got rats ! " I said. 



" Bless you, yes, sir," he said, smiling; " we hev a nice old 

 time with 'em." 



The rat in question was just full grown and in excellent 

 condition, for the cat had had her fill of the previous two, 

 and needed very little persuasion to part with it. By lamp- 

 light the coat of the animal appeared to be bluish-white, 

 suggesting to me the hue of an Arctic fox in summer jacket. 

 The tail was of a creamy tint, and slightly shorter than that 

 of a normal Mus rattus ; the ears were greyish, and the head 

 altogether of the true typical form. The eyes were gleaming 

 red, with an opalescent tint, and almost as full and bright as 

 in life. I forwarded the animal at once to Dr. S. H. Long, of 

 Norwich, who exhibited it, still in the flesh, with several 

 other varieties of Mus rattus and Mus alexandrinus which I 



