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originally from the East Indies, others, from the West ; many 

 assert that it came from Norway, while others maintain that it 

 was common in England before the Norwegians even heard of 

 it. Farther, other authorities state that this species came from 

 Persia and the southern regions of Asia, and that the fact is 

 rendered sufficiently evident from the testimony of Pallas and 

 Cuvier. Pallas describes the migratory nature of these rats, 

 and states that in the autumn of 1729 they arrived at Astrachan, 

 in Russia, in such incredible numbers that nothing could be 

 done to oppose them. They came from the western deserts, 

 and even the waves of the Volga did not arrest their progress. 

 Pennant states that this rat was first seen in England about 

 1728, and in Paris still later. Whatever the early history of 

 this animal may be, it is a fact that the brown rat was not 

 known in this country until it w^as settled by Europeans, and, 

 even now, it is unknown in the West beyond the limits of civil- 

 ization, upon which it seems to be an attendant, accompanying 

 it in its marches, establishing itself with it, and living on it. 

 The habits of the common rat are well known ; he is coura- 

 geous, sometimes even ferocious, cunning to a proverb, destruc- 

 tive, mischievous and filthy. Its food is almost anything 

 edible ; in fact, he may be called truly omnivorous. 



A writer uses the following language in describing the habits 

 of this species : — 



"Its food consists of almost every kind of animal and vefietable substances 

 eaten by other animals. In granaries and corn-yards it is extremely destruc- 

 tive, connnitting its depredations at leisure in the heart of the stacks, where it 

 frequently produces its young, and whence it cannot be expelled until they 

 are taken down, when the quantity of corn destroyed is sometimes found to 

 be enormous. In houses it feeds on bread, meats, vegetables, in short, almost 

 everything edible that it can gain access to." The rat is also " very destruc- 

 tive to chickens, rabbits, young pigeons, ducks, and various other animals. 

 Eggs are also a favorite article of food, and are sought with great eagerness." 



Among the enemies of the rat, the weasel, skunk, fox, cat, 

 hawks and owls are perhaps the most active ; but almost every 

 living creature regards it as its enemy, and if sufficiently pow- 

 erful, attempts its destruction, and contrary to the canine 

 maxim that " dog will not eat dog," the rat even preys on his 

 fellows and destroys at every opportunity the young of his own 

 species. In fact, with its innumerable enemies this animal 

 would soon be exterminated were it not for its astonishing 

 fecundity. Rodwell, in writing of this, says, in calculating the 

 increase from one pair, that "the result is 651,050 rats in three 

 years ; it appears a thing almost incredible ; yet it is an arith- 

 metical fact." It is proper to observe that in this calculation 

 he averages the litters at eight in each case, — a very fair aver- 

 age, as they have been known to have twenty-three at a birth, 



