166 JOURNAL, BOMB AY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XXVII. 



day, but now the same man will only get perhaps 20. This is so far satis- 

 factory, but I would point out that the present is the breeding season and 

 that in each hole may be found nests of young rats which was not the 

 case in the hot weather or even in July." 



As regards the breeding season, Mr. Elphinstone, Acting Collector of 

 Dharwar" in a letter to the Commissioner, S. D., dated 3rd November 1879, 

 says : " the breeding season for rats has commenced a few weeks ago and 

 that in consequence enormous numbers of them are now being killed." 

 He goes on to say that the season is very favourable for cotton sowing 

 *' and it would be a pity to endanger what will otherwise be a bumper crop 

 by allowing the rats, which destroyed the American cotton last season, 

 to multiply, which they are still likely to do if the period of rewards is 

 not extended one fortnight longer, say to the 30th instant." In a subse- 

 quent letter, dated 6th November 1877, from Mr. J. Elphinstone, it is 

 stated that the number of rats killed during the week ending the 1st 

 November had " again increased to the enormous number of 360,680 and 

 if the period for killing rats is not extended to the end of December the 

 havoc caused by these vermin among the rabi crops is likely to be very 

 great. If Government withheld help at this critical time all the money 

 that has been extended by Govermnent up to the present moment may be 

 lost. The breeding season of rats has commenced in real earnest and 1 

 am informed by the District Officers here that the great numbers that are 

 killed, nearly all are young rats." 



A Government Resolution, dated 13th October 1879, runs as follows : — 

 " Owing to the enormous numbers of rats which still threaten the 

 crops in the Dharwar districts, no less than 412,024 having been 

 destroyed in the week ending 27th September 1879, Government are 

 pleased to extend the period of rewards for the extermination of these 

 vermin up to the 15th November 1879." 



Terminatiojs^ of the Eat-plagub. 



The plague of rats diminished about the end of November 1879 and 

 terminated about January 1880. 



Species op Rats. 



There appears to have been three species of rats concerned. The 

 Collector of Sholapur reported that " he saw in January 7th, 1879, fields, 

 especially those with groundnuts, completely burrowed by rats and what- 

 ever crop was obtainable was that which was dug out of the burrows. The 

 rats were of three species, a small black rat, a larger one and a brown rat 

 or Jerboa. The last is by far the most destructive and it is a serious ques- 

 tion for the future if it lives and multiplies. It digs its hole or burrow on 

 higher uplands and in hard soil so that it may not be affected by rain and 

 drowned. The other rats frequent black soil and perish during the rains." 



The Collector of Nasik (Mr. Ramsey) reported that he did not consider 

 the vermin to be a rat, but a species of Jerboa, a purely grain eating animal 

 which is found more or less in the Deccan. He attributed this sudden 

 appearance to the exhaustion of the grain stores in underground preserves, 

 termed " Peos " on which these animals used formerly to subsist, and failing 

 this they betook themselves to standing crops. 



Damage catjsed by the Eats. 



The damage done by these pests was enormous. The Collector of 

 Kaladgi wrote that " the devastation committed by rats was so great that 

 m February 1879, immigrants poured into Kaladgi from the Nizam's 

 territory and relief works were opened in April 1879. It was expected 

 that the rats would perish in the heavy rains of the monsoon, but the 



