THE WATER RAT 



417 



this article and that unfortunate pariah, it from the naked tapering organ of a 



the Common Brown Rat. The opniion 

 that the latter should be exterminated 

 is one which, in its present popular and 

 somewhat hysterical phase, no naturalist 

 can entertain, but the existence of this 

 opinion renders it necessary to em])hasize 

 the distinction between the two animals, 

 lest a clumsy swipe at the one species 

 should involve the destruction of both. 



k 



-»- 



True Mouse. In the possession of musk- 

 glands a little forward of his hind legs, 

 and of h\'e pads instead of six on liis 

 hind feet, he differs from the Meadow 

 Mouse type which we ha\e already con- 

 sidered. 



Like the Water Shrew Mouse, he shows 

 few outward signs of being aquatic. His 

 feet are not webbed. His tail is not com- 

 pressed. If one examiRes him 

 closely, one finds that the long 

 stiff hairs which form his outer 

 coat are sufficiently greasy to 

 repel water, that he can close 

 his ears at will, and that there 

 is a secretion of oily matter 

 round his eyes which dries white, 

 and so. by contrast, somewhat 

 heightens their briUiancy. That 

 this secretion performs some 

 useful function may be assumed 



LAND RAT PHOTOGRAPHED AT A RANGE 

 OF ABOUT THREE YARDS. 



Their points of resemblance 

 are confined to a rough simi- 

 larity in size and colour. But 

 for the unfortunate coincidence 

 that the Common Brown Rat 

 is a past master in swimming 

 and diving, and takes naturally 

 to a semi-aquatic existence on 

 the banks of suburban streams, 

 confusion between the two would 

 be scarcely possible. 



If the reader will refer to the 

 accompanying photographs, both of which from its persistence. A captive \\'ater 

 were taken at the "natural" range of Rat who has no faciUties for a plunge 

 about three j-ards. he will see at a glance bath will be practically blinded by an 

 the difference in shape of the heads, and accumulation of sebaceous matter round 



VATER RAT PHOTOGRAPHED AT A RANGE OF 

 ABOUT THREE .YARDS. 



if he has read my previous articles, he 

 wiU recognise this difference as familiar. 

 The Water Rat is a large amphibious 

 Meadow Mouse. His features arc blunted, 

 his body thick-set, his eyes beady, his 

 limbs short but stout, his ears hidden in 

 fur. His tail is comparatively long (about 

 two-thirds of the length of his head and 

 body), but its thick hair covering and 

 blunted end serve at once to distinguish 



his eyes. 



The above characteristics justify the 

 assumption, which obser\-ation wiU con- 

 firm, tliat the Water Rat is a good but 

 not an extraordinary swimmer. The 

 theory has somehow crept into the books 

 that in swimming at his case he }->laces 

 his fore-limbs against his sides and employs 

 his hind-limbs alone. I cannot confirm 

 this from personal experience. A swim- 



