18 MURID^i-:. 



the foregoing remarks had been written. The two specimens re- 

 ferred to in these memoranda are now in the Belfast Musevmi. — Ed.} 



" March 1st, 1850. — Mus rattus?—M. Hibernicus. — A very large rat of this 

 species (large even for M. decumanus) was brought me to look at to-day, in the 

 flesh. It was killed at Cogry Mills, near Doagh (County Antrim). Its weight 

 is 1 lb. 3 oz. ; it is a male. It is wholly black, except a white elongate marking, 

 an inch and half long, upon the breast, and a little white on the toes. 



Length from snout to base of tail 



of tail, which is imperfect 



■ — — head ...... 



in. 



lines. 



11 







8 



3 



2 



8 







lOh 



" March 1st, 1851. — Blacli Rat, with white spot on breast. — A very fine one 

 was sent me by Mr. Wm. Marshall, of Barn Cottage (near Carrickfergus) ; its 

 weight, IS^oz. avoirdupois." 



The Brown or Common Rat, 3Ius decumanus, Pall. 



This animal, although not aboriginal, is now, unfortunately, too well 

 known to be much dwelt on. It is said to have been unknown in Eng- 

 land before 1730 (Pennant, Jenyns, and Magill.) ; and not to have been 

 introduced into Paris until twenty years later, llutty, however, in his 

 Natural History of Dublin, states that the species " first began to infest 

 these parts about the year 1722." Its native country is not positively 

 known. 



White varieties of the common rat have occasionally come under the 

 inspection of some of my correspondents, as well as of myself In August, 

 1838, I examined an entirely white specimen, in the possession of a gen- 

 tleman in Belfast, the eyes of which were of the ordinary black colour. 

 Thomas Walker, jun., E.-;q., of Belmont (County Wexford), informed me, 

 in 1837, that '• white rats were rather common in the kennel there. They 

 had pink eyes ; but in shape and hair were different from the common 

 rat ; the body long and narrow ; and the hair long and wiry, like that of 

 a rough terrier." 



At Holywood House (County Down), a pear-tree was pointed out to 

 me, in June, 1842, from which, it was stated, about a bushel of pears had 

 been taken by rats, in the previous summer. The branches were spread 

 against the garden wall in such a position as to be easily accessible ; and 

 there was a rat-hole at the distance of about ten yards, with a well-beaten 

 path leading to the tree. The depredators scooped out the inside of the 

 fruit, leaving the rind : and did this leisurely, as the mangled remains 

 were left at the foot of the tree. 



Two of my friends, who have been in the habit of keeping ferrets, in- 

 formed me, in 1849, that the presence of these animals did not deter rats 

 from frequenting the places where they were kept. On one occasion (at 

 Loughanmore, County Antrim), rats ate through two or three small 

 wooden rails to get at the food of the ferrets, several of which were, at 

 the time, lying at the upper end of the same box, about four feet from 

 where the food was. 



I have also been told that rats feed upon frogs' spawn, but cannot 

 vouch for the fact. 



John Sinclair, Esq., states, as the result of his examination of many 

 broods of young rats, that a great proportion of them — not less than 

 three-fourths — were males. 



