1110 



PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part III. 



through the section of the parchment into the vessel, than it retreats to the brick or stone, and commences 

 its lamentations for relief. Nor are its whining notes uttered in vain; others soon follow, and share the 

 same fate; when a dreadful conflict begins among them, to decide the possession of the dry asylum. 

 Eattles follow in rapid succession, attended with such loud and noisy shrieks, that all the rats in the 

 neighbourhood hasten to the fatal spot, where they experience similar disasters. Thus hundreds may be 

 caught by a stratagem, which might be greatly facilitated by exposing a living rat taken in a trap, or pur- 

 chased from a professional rat-catcher. 



7633. A successful mode of enticing rats has been lately practised by Broad, a farmer at Thruxton in 

 Herefordshire. He uses a bore trap, two feet long, eight inches wide, and nine inches deep, and little 

 different in construction from the common one. His secret consists in scenting light-coloured malt, and 

 also some wheat straws, with oil of caraways, and not setting the traps for a day or two till the rats have 

 been accustomed to eat the malt without fear. {F. Mag. xiv. p. 431.) 



7634. Paul of Staiston's rattery is thus described by S. Taylor, Esq. in the Gardener''s Magazine : 



7635. This rattery 



; invented by Mr. R. Paul of Starston, in 

 Norfolk. He bestowed much labour and tirae to bring it to 

 perfection ; and, though living in a situation peculiarly ft vour- 

 able for encouraging the breed of rats, used to boast that he 

 had completely subdued them. In fact, I have heard him say 

 that he offered a reward to any one who would bring rats on 

 his premises; and that having marked and turned off one 



particular pair, he betted a wager that he should soon catch 

 them both ; which, in the course of a very few days, he did. 

 He selected, as the site of his rattery, some outhouse where rats 

 were known to freouenf , and which he could lock up, and keep 

 sacred to his own devices and operations. Hete he fixed his 

 traj), the construction of which will be best understood bv re- 

 ferring to the accompanying sketches C/fg:*. 9G4, 965.). This 



The same letters refer to each of the 

 figures. 



A, End view of the trap, with the tub 

 Csection). 



B, Ix)ngitudinal section of trap. 



c, Birdseye view of longitudinal si 

 tion ot trap. 



a, Doubting Castle. 



b, Forlorn Hope. 



c, Slough of Despond. 



d, Partition wall. 



e, Ground level. 

 /, Pipe of brick or tile. 

 g, Falling floor, or bottom of trap. 



h, The weighted end of the fall, to 

 bring it back into iu place. 



I, The end of the fall, that gives way 

 under the rats. 



/, Trough, or thorotighfare, in wliich 

 the trap (a) is placed. 



, The feeding end of the trough. 



ti. The end at which the rats enter. 



0, Loose wood, to serve both as a 

 cover and a road into the trap. 



p, A slip of wood, to which the rats 

 spring from the pipe /, and which 

 gives way under them, and lets 

 Uiem into the water btlow. 



