RATS 361 



dike. They travel in droves, too, when full grown; and 

 an old fenman told me he met from thirty to forty of them 

 going across the marshes in Indian file, a fine big fellow 

 leading the way. Nor do they confine themselves to travel- 

 ling the marshes; but, when half-grown, will run up the 

 rat-catcher's limbs for shelter when hard pressed. The 

 many disembowelled frogs to be found on the ronds and 

 marsh -walls in early spring are the victims of these 

 fierce marauders. And should a ferret find a frog in 

 their holes (as he sometimes does), he will eat it as well 

 as the rat. 



Their deadliest enemy is the stoat, who attacks them in 

 the same way as he does the larger barn rats, and always 

 masters them, the rat's open mouth, thrown back head, and 

 arched back being of no avail. 



When the corn is up, they are to be found harvesting with 

 the men ; and should there come a drought, followed by 

 a soaking rain, you may see them turn out to drink. When 

 the hard frosts come, they will lie up in their burrows, seven 

 or eight lying together, or else they will seek the warmer 

 rabbit-holes on the warrens or in the sandhills. 



A novel way of trapping them is to place a " red " her- 

 ring's head on a wall a foot above the trap, when they are 

 sure to get caught as they "reach for it." 



3. LITTLE RED RAT. 



These rats are much rarer than the two larger kinds, 

 and go by the name of " Italian rats," and "ship rats; " for 

 old fenmen say they come from foreign ships wrecked on 

 the coast. They are generally found in "schools." This 

 rat is about a foot long, and frequents banks. Old rat- 

 catchers tell me he doesn't " young " till late (never earlier 

 than May, until which season they often remain in bunches 

 laid up in holes), and that they are great cannibals, eating 

 each other's young. Indeed, one rat-catcher tells me all 



