NORWAY or COMMON RAT 



Mus norvegicus. 



We can hardly believe that this creature who now inhabits 

 all parts of the world where man lives was originally a native of 

 western China. Thence for ages he has been making far journeys 

 over land and sea and even to-day rarely does a ship weigh anchor 

 from any port without giving involuntary accommodations to some 

 of these detested passengers. Homely enough are they, with the 

 dull and coarse grayish brown fur, thickly mixed with long pro- 

 jecting black hairs, and with the almost bare tail deeply marked 

 with heavy scales. With the head and thick set body together meas- 

 uring about ten inches and the tail about the same, they are big 

 fellows and thus easily overcome their smaller and less objection- 



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