INTRODUCTION. 



IN placing before my readers in the following 

 pages the results of my twenty-five years' 

 experience of Bat-catching, Ferreting, &c., I 

 may say that I have always done my best to 

 accomplish every task that I have undertaken, 

 and I have in consequence received excellent 

 testimonials from many corporations, railway 

 companies, and merchants. I have not only 

 made it my study to discover the different and 

 the best methods of catching Rats, but I have 

 also taken great interest in watching their 

 ways and habits, and I come to the conclusion 

 that there is no sure way of completely 

 exterminating the Rodents, especially in large 

 towns. If I have in this work referred more 

 particularly to Rat-catching in Manchester 

 that is only because my experience, although 

 extending over a much wider area, has been 

 chiefly in that city, but the methods I describe 

 are equally applicable to all large towns. 



Yours truly, 

 IKE MATTHEWS. 

 PEOFESSIONAL RAT-CATCHEE, 

 PENDLETON, 



MANCHESTEE. 



