THE BROWN RAT. 431 



it very often effects. They are, however, so bold 

 as to attack a small Dog, seize him by the mouth, 

 and holding fast there, they make a wound very dif- 

 ficult to be healed on account of its depth and la- 

 ceration. 



In the Isle of France, Rats are found in such pro- 

 digious swarinSj that it is said the place was en- 

 tirely abandoned by the Dutch on account of their 

 number. In some of the houses they are so nu- 

 merous, that 30,000 have been known to be killed 

 in a year. They make immense hoards under ground 

 both of corn and fruit ; and chmb up the trees to 

 devour the young birds. They pierce the very 

 thickest rafters. At sun-set they may be seen run- 

 ning about in all directions ; and in a single night 

 they will frequently destroy a whole crop of corn, 

 M. de Saint Pierre says, he has seen a field of 

 maize, in which they had not left a single ear. 

 They are supposed to have been originally brought 

 to that island in some of the European vessels. 



On the return of the Valiant man of war from 

 the Havannah, in the year 17(36, its Rats had in- 

 creased to such a degree, that they destroyed a hun- 

 dred-weight of biscuit daily. . The ship was at 

 length smoked between decks, in order to suffocate 

 them : which had the desired effect ;^and six hampers 

 were, for some time, filled every day, with the 

 Rats that had thus been killed *. 



The following anecdote of a whimsical mode of 

 clearing a house of these troublesome animals, mav 



^ St. Pierre's Voyage to the Lie of France, p. 7Q. and aoU?. 



