16 DAN BEARD'S ANIMAL BOOK 



ning up them at the corners; they upset more tin 

 pans, and only disappeared when I clapped my 

 hands and stamped my feet. The big old male rat 

 being the last to enter his hole, did it only after a 

 slow retreat and a continuous scolding, stut ! stut ! 

 stut! 



ENGLISH RATS. 



An old gentleman in speaking of his school 

 days at the celebrated Eton school in England, 

 said that sixty years ago, the sixth form boys were 

 accustomed to eat their supper in the "Long 

 Chamber," where the rats were very plentiful and 

 would come trooping out at supper time from their 

 holes in the wainscot to feed on the food thrown 

 to them by the boys. 



WHEN THE RATS BECAME TOO NUMEROUS 



the boys, while the rats were feeding, would send 

 their fags to stop up their holes with stockings, so 

 as to trap the rats in the following manner: after 

 the stocking foot and leg was thrust in the hole 

 and the opening at the top of the stocking care- 

 fully spread open and fastened there and all was 

 ready the boys would stampede the rats. The 

 rodents, of course, would make for their holes and 

 dive into the fags' stockings, which were then 

 withdrawn and the rats killed by banging them 

 against the bed-steads; after which the poor fags 

 put on the stockings and wore them. 



