THE BROWN RAT. 4'2g 



soft materials ; and they bring forth from three to six 

 young ones at a time. When taken young, they 

 are easily tamed ; they are then very playful and in- 

 offensive, and never bite. 



The flesh is sometimes eaten ; and the fur is used 

 in the manufacture of hats *. 



THE BROWN RAT '\-. 



Tlie Brown and tlie Black Rat are both of them 

 species much too well known in most countries where 

 they arc found at all. The former, however, which 

 was first introduced among us from Norway, has 

 greatly diminished the number of the others ; 

 but has itself multipled so excessively, and is so 

 very strong and voracious, as to form no acceptable 

 substitute. 



In Ireland these Rats have very nearly destroyed 

 even the whole race of Frogs ; which the inhabi- 

 tants were somewhat anxious to preserve, in order 

 to clear their fields of insects, and render their waters 

 more healthful. While the Frogs continued in 

 great numbers, the Rats also multiplied ; but 

 since the latter are deprived of this considerable 

 part of their subsistence, they also are become much 

 less numerous J. 



During summer, they reside chiefly in holes on 



• Pcnn. Arct. Zool. i. 107. See also Charlevoix, Amer. i. 16S. 

 ' t Synonyms. — Mus dccumanu'?. Linn. — Bandicotc. Purckas.-^ 



Surmulot. Buff'on. — Norway Rat. Brown Rat. Pcnn. Sha-u:'i Gm. 



Zool, pi. ISO.— i?t». i^uad. 377. 



I Goldsmith, iv. 63. 



