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"Azoa (Rat Virus) is a disease-producing virus that when eaten 

 iby a rat or a mouse, infects with a disease that kills in from eight to 

 fourteen days. Owing to the cannibalistic nature of these rodents, 

 the disease is transmitted from one to another until all the rats and 

 mice in a particular locality have been destroyed." . 



A test was made of this new remedy on rats and mice, 

 both in captivity and at large, but without any apparent dis- 

 comfort to the animals. One of these tests may be described as 

 follows : 



A supply of the "Azoa" was obtained direct from the 

 laboratories of the manufacturers. On July 27th, 1907, while 

 the material was yet fresh, three young Norway rats were 

 caught, and kept confined, in a large, wire rat-trap. Begin- 

 ning with the date given and for a period of forty days there- 

 after the "Azoa" was fed to the rats at intervals of a few days 

 until ten seventy-five-cent bottles had been consumed. The rats 

 ate the cracked grain with which the virus was mixed very 

 readily, and other food was denied them each time the "Azoa" 

 was given until every particle was eaten. At the end of the 

 forty days the rats were still apparently in a healthy condition, 

 and were removed from the trap and killed with a club. 



OTHER MICE THAT HAVE BEEN, OR MAY BE, FOUND 

 IN WEST VIRGINIA. 



SHORT-TAILED MICE. 



Cooper's Lemming, Synaptomys cooperi Baird. 

 A northern species of short-tailed mouse that follows the 

 Alleghanies south as far as North Carolina. Is likely to occur 

 in swampy places in the higher parts of the State. 



Red-backed Mouse, Evotomys gapperi (Vigors). 

 A northern species that extends its range into West Vir- 

 ginia. Smaller than the common meadow mouse. Frequents 

 swamps and evergreen forests. 



