"My hospitality was greatly appreciated." 



THE BROWN RAT 



T 



HIS animal is of Asiatic origin, 

 and first found its way 

 into Britain during the 

 eighteenth century, since 

 which time it has prac- 

 tically banished its fore- 

 runner the Black Rat. To 

 the field naturalist, whom 

 experience and temperament teach to 

 look upon everything with an unpreju- 

 diced eye, it is an extremely interesting 

 creature. Although his hand has ever 

 been raised in enmity against it, it has 

 followed man as a scavenger to the 

 uttermost ends of the earth, ploughed 

 the mighty deep of every sea with him, 

 and descended the darkest depths of 

 the earth in order to take advantage 

 of his ill-considered trifles. It can exist 

 almost anywhere, and upon anything, 

 from limpets to leather. Often living 

 amidst the most filthy surroundings, it 

 takes the utmost pains to keep itself 

 scrupulously clean. It can climb like 

 a squirrel, leap like a greyhound, and 

 swim like an otter. 

 8 



In the summer time it takes to hedge- 

 banks and those of streams, where it 

 breeds most prolifically. The usual num- 

 ber of young ones in a litter is from seven 

 to twelve, but as many as seventeen 

 have been found in a single nest. 

 During the autumn old and young 

 alike commence to search for warmer 

 and drier quarters in ricks, dwelling- 

 houses, stables, and sheds. 



In order to secure the pictures illus- 

 trating this article I fed Rats living in 

 a Surrey hedgebank every evening for a 

 week or two upon coarse oatmeal, of 

 which they are excessively fond. My 

 hospitality was greatly appreciated, 

 and occasionally I had as many as ten 

 Rats all sitting round the little hillock 

 of food at once. 



A Rat's nose is of much more import- 

 ance to him than his eyes, and by it 

 nearly every kind of critical inquiry is 

 made. If a stranger arrived at my impro- 

 vised supper-table all the animals sitting 

 round would take a careful inquiring 

 sniff at him. I was always particular 



