THE CANE RAT 



destroyed by these animals. It is not exactly the 

 numbers of pumpkins the Cane Rats actually devour 

 that the farmer complains of ; it is their habit of 

 sampling them in a wholesale manner with the 

 object of finding a nice sweet ripe one on which to 

 make a meal. 



These Cane Rats are very fond of mealies, especi- 

 ally when in the soft milky condition of development. 

 To secure the corn cobs, the mealie stalk is gnawed 

 through and falls to the ground. 



In fields of corn and millet they have regular 

 beaten tracks running at various angles from their 

 lairs in the neighbouring thickets, wooded kloofs, 

 long grass, or reed beds. 



The Cane Rat is very destructive in sugar-cane 

 plantations, and is regarded as the planter's worst 

 enemy. With its powerful chisel-like incisor teeth 

 it gnaws through the stalks of cane, destroying 

 infinitely more than it eats. These sugar-cane plan- 

 tations are vast masses of cane plants growing so 

 closely together that they afford the finest possible 

 cover for rodent animals such as the Cane Rats. 

 When the cane is tall enough to afford shelter, the 

 Cane Rats invade it from the neighbouring thickets 

 and other harbouring places, and make their home 

 in the midst of it, feeding nightly upon the sweet 

 pith. Here they dwell until the cane is cut down, 

 when they once again retire to their native haunts. 



In situations which afford ample cover in the 

 shape of cane fields, reed and rush beds, thorny 

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