THE PEST OF RATS 31 



no reason why country slaughter-houses should 

 not be as cleanly as are the abattoirs of a 

 modern city. 



Disposal of dead rats. Finally, the bodies 

 of dead rats should never be handled with the 

 bare fingers, or thrown out to be eaten by dogs 

 or pigs or other animals ; for they may con- 

 tain, as has been shown, the germs of dreadful 

 diseases. They should be burned, or else 

 turned to account by being buried at the foot 

 of grape-vines or young trees, for which they 

 will make an excellent fertilizer. 



Four-footed enemies of the rat. A word as 

 to the assistance animals may give in killing 

 off and keeping down the rats. How greatly 

 the increase of all rodents is due to the destruc- 

 tion of the various wild mammals, birds and 

 reptiles, that prey upon them, will be shown 

 hereafter. Hawks, owls, weasels and skunks 

 dispose of a great number of rats in rural dis- 

 tricts, and might take many more if they were 

 permitted. Skunks in particular are a most 

 valuable help in this direction both the large 

 northern skunks and the small spotted species 

 of the South and West and will, if allowed, 



