22 NATURAL HISTORY [Quadrupeds. 



found many years ago much more common than now, hav- 

 ing been extirpated by a still more pernicious species, which 

 shall be next described. 



The common rat is still to be found in South Ronaldsha, 

 where the other has not come, and, like all the genus, is de- 

 structive to every thing eatable, and scarce possible to be ex- 

 cluded. 



The story, which Sir Robert Sibbald tells us from Cicero, of 

 their leaving a house before it falls, is here very prevalent ; 

 numbers of instances given, as usual in such cases ; and great 

 expressions of wonder, if the fact be questioned ! Whatever 

 is in this, it is certain rats entirely quit particular houses, and 

 that for years, without any apparent reason, as I have often 

 had occasion to observe, though the catastrophe did not al- 

 ways fulfil the prediction ! 



Species 2. The Norway Rat. 

 Brit. Zool. 99. Pen. Syn. 300. Brown Rat. 



A very large and mischievous species ; no native, but in- 



probably never a native of Great Britain. " Consueverant Comites in Catane- 

 " siam, indequi ad moutaua ad venattim caprearum rangiferorumque quotannis 



" proficissi," &c Vide Torf. His. Rer. Ore. cap. 36. 



In an extract made from M'Kailes's Short Relation of the most Remarkable 

 Things in Orkney, I find the following observation : " There are no foxes nor 

 " hares ; only 1 was informed that, about eighty years ago, there were several 

 " either black or white hares upon the two great mountains of Choye," &c. P. 



