Man and NaUire 



387 



Hessian solcliors ; henee its name. Another immigrant which 

 came to us in Revolutionary days was the brown rat.^ 



This rat first crossed the Russian frontier of Asia in 1727 

 in such numbers that it soon overran Kurope, whence it came 

 to America. With the rat came its parasite, tlie deadly 

 Trichina, while more recently the j^et more deadly Bacillus 

 pestis of the bubonic playue has become established in Cali- 

 fornia, brought in by rats from oriental ports. What a pity 

 we cannot return to Europe with our compliments all of our 



Field of Alfalfa 



Ruined by meadow mice in the Humboldt Valley, Nevada, 1907. 



Courtesy of the U. ih'. Buriuu of Biohujicdl Sinn ij. 



undesirables, four-legged, as well as two-legged and winged 

 ones as well ! 



An old Welsh legend tells of the frantic father, wlio upon 

 returning to his home found his child missing, and the dog 

 which he had left to guard her dripping with blood ; and 

 thereupon slew the faithful creature, only to find his child 

 safe and the body of a great wolf which the ilog luul sla^in, 



' There are two other si>ef'ies of naturalized rats in the United States 

 — the black and tlie roof rats. Both are too few and restricted in dis- 

 tribution to be of tiuich (Vdiiiiuiic importance, bciii",-- liehl in subjection 

 by the stronger and lierccr liroun rat. 



