1882.] OF THE INDIAN MUNGOOS IN JAMAICA. 713 



the rats down in those districts in which it thrives ; but it is very 

 local, and attempts to remove it from one district to another rarely 

 succeed. Besides destroying the young of rats, it is most injurious 

 to the young of all kinds of animals and birds. Chickens, puppies, 

 colts, and even calves have been killed by the Raffle ant. 



In 1871 I was suffering unusually from rats on Spring Garden 

 Estate ; and in talking over possible remedies, my wife suggested 

 the introduction of the Mungoos from India. Some years before, 

 Mrs. Espeut had been in Ceylon with her father. Colonel Armit, 

 R.E., and had there possessed an Indian Mungoos as a pet. She 

 had often seen the animal destroy rats, and advised me to intro- 

 duce it into Jamaica. On making further inquiries, I found nothing 

 against the proposal, and very much in favour of it. A captain of a 

 ship assured me a Mungoos had cleared his ship of rats in a few 

 weeks ; and friends who had been stationed iu India gave very satis- 

 factory accounts of it as a rat-destroyer. 



I at once wrote to the Government of Jamaica, asking permission 

 to obtain some Mungooses from India by the Coohe ships ; but diffi- 

 culties ^were placed in the way at first, and it was only after repeated 

 and urgent solicitation on my part that Sir J. Grant gave the 

 necessary orders to the emigration agent at Calcutta. In 1872, on 

 the 13th February, by the East-Indian sliip 'Merchantman,' I 

 received 9 of these animals, 4 males and 5 females, one large with 

 young. I paid for them £9, " in reimbursement of cost attending 

 the procuring and transmitting." I let tliese nine animals out 

 in four lots, three pairs and one lot of three, the latter near my house, 

 the others in suitable parts of the sugar-field. Within a few months 

 young ones were seen about ; and in less than sis months there was 

 evidence, clear and certain, that the rats were much less destructive 

 than had ever been known. Fewer rats were caught and fewer canes 

 were destroyed, month after month ; within two years the expen- 

 diture for killing rats ceased almost entirely, and in another year 

 I enjoyed relief and immunity ; and ever since the losses from rats 

 have been a mere trifle. 



Within a very short time (three years) neighbouring estates found 

 a similar benefit ; and some of my brother sugar-planters, who had 

 laughed at me for supposing the Mungoos would do any good, began 

 to buy all they could procure from the natives, who, setting traps on 

 my lands, stole all the Mungooses they could obtain, and sold them 

 at prices ranging from £1 at first down to 5s. each in the last few 

 years. By this means, and naturally, the Mungoos has now become 

 general all over the island ; and the beneficial results of the intro- 

 duction of this useful animal may safely be taken as exceeding 

 a6150,000 a year. Mr. Morris, the Government Botanist, states, " it 

 might very safely be estimated at not less than 36100,000 per 

 annum." As a single instance of the good arising from the intro- 

 duction of the Mungoos, I may refer to the exports of chocolate 

 (cocoa). Owing to the ravages of the rats, it was impossible to 

 grow cocoa: the exports in 1875 were only 311 cwt., valued at 36873. 

 In 1880, only five years after, the exports were 3304 cwt. valued at 



