* 



368 



DISEASES 



Sect. XIV. 4.2. 



d 



they arife from the feed, and multiply at that time very fafi:. He 



^e61s their habitations by fmall mounds of earth being thrown up 



or near the apertures of their dwellings, or of the paflages, which 



id to their nefts or grranaries ; and by following the courfe of thefe 



palTages he found and dtftroyed the parents and the progeny. 



Mr.WaoftafF recommends the taking up and dividing the tuffock 



f u heat, thus f( 



th 



e 



m 



by th 



field-mice, and 



f. 



planting them in the fpring ; and alfo to thin other parts of a you 

 crop, as they appear too thickly fown, which he efteems an advan 



geous pra6lice. 



Acorns when fown, and garden beans, and peas 



dug up or devoured by thefe voracious 



deftroyed by traps baited with cheefe ; 



bl 



be 



hich may be 



or 



beft 



f all by th 



ement of the breed of 



fo adive in the purfuit of no(5l 



vermin, and thence fo ufeful to the gardener and farmer, who d 



1 



permit their fervants and children to deftroy both their eggs and C£ 



low 



y 



2. This country was infefted with two kinds of rats, the houfe 



d 



b 



believed, that within the lad half 



y the water-rat has deftroyed the houfc 



The water rats p 



fefs fome kinds of ingenuity fimilar to the beaver in the conftru6f ion 

 of their houfes near the brinks of rivers and pools; which have two 

 apertures, one above ground amongfl: the grafs, and the other beneath 

 the furface of the water ; and unlefs they can hide their upper open- 

 ins; amid weeds or grafs, they forfake the fituation. Thus if a rim, 



low as to 



three or four feet in breadth, round a fifli-pond be kept fo low 



rife only two, or three, or four inches above the level of the water; 



and if this be kept clean from high grafs, or weeds, the rats will de- 



fert the pond. 



I have ieen a young v^ater-rat devour a large leaf of water-plantain, 



alifma plantago, and therefore fuppofe that they occafionally prey on 

 the foliage, as well as on the feeds and fruits of vegetables, and on 



As thefe animals, like the 



young anim.als, as ducklings and rabbits. 



I 



J 



\ 



i 



