THE RAT. 247 



been borne from its dwelling in some hay-rick ; and, 

 observing the swan, had sought a refuge in its plumage. 

 No sooner had the latter reached the land, than the 

 rat leaped from its back, and scampered off ; but, though 

 spared by the tempest, it was speedily killed by a blow 

 from a staff. 



It appears that there are circumstances which lead to 

 the occasional confidence of animals in others, generally 

 regarded as their natural enemies. Of this, the following 

 is a curious illustration. A gentleman, who lived some 

 years since in the village of Ickleton, in Cambridge- 

 shire, was accustomed, after his shooting excursions, 

 to feed his dogs in their kennels, the food being placed 

 in a long trough. On one occasion, when he had at- 

 tended to them personally, as usual, he looked into 

 the kennel through a hole in the door ; and was some- 

 what astonished, not at perceiving a number of rats 

 there, but at seeing them in the trough, quietly and 

 fearlessly partaking of bread and milk with the , dogs, 

 which seemed to pay no attention to them whatever. 

 He was determined to destroy the rats ; and, the next 

 day, placed the trough in such a position, that a gun 

 pointed through the hole would rake it from one end 

 to the other. At the usual hour, the food was placed 

 as a lure, and the dogs were kept out ; but the plan 



