THE BLACK RAT 597 



1667) ; " Mus domesticus major, sive Rattus, the Rat " in Ray {Syn. 

 Quadr., 217, 1683), Sibbald {Scot., 12, 1684), and Pennant {Brit. Zool, 

 ed. ii., 97, 1768); "Mus rattus domesticus'^ of Klein {Quadr. disp., 57, 

 175 1); and "Mus {Rattus) cauda longissima, obscure cinereus," in 

 Brisson {Quadr., 168, n. i, 1762) and Gronovius {Zooph., 4, n. 18). 

 ^' Mus rattus" of Albertus Magnus {de Anim., lib. xxii., 182, circa 

 1250) has been shown by de I'lsle to have been a dormouse {Eliomys 

 quercinus). 



The synonymy is that of the species and typical sub-species. It is 

 perhaps to be regretted that in this case we are forced to regard as the 

 typical form something which is apparently no better than an undesired 

 product of domestication. 



The history, origin, and status of this sub-species have been 

 discussed above under the species (see headings History, Distribution, 

 and Geographical variation). 



Distribution: — Primarily the whole of temperate western and 

 central Europe, from Ireland eastwards, and from central France 

 and northern Italy northwards to central Sweden. Throughout this 

 region its numbers have greatly diminished since the introduction of 

 E. norvegicus, and over great tracts it has become quite extinct. 



In Norway the original stock survived recently only at Kongsberg, 

 but it is now dying out or else is extinct there. Although formerly 

 common it was probably never so numerous in that country as 

 norvegicus subsequently became. As a reintroduction a colony has 

 established itself in the Oslo Havn at Christiania, and from time to 

 time the animal, as in other countries, makes a transitory appearance 

 in the various seaports. All Norwegian specimens belong to the 

 present sub-species. In Sweden it survives in decreasing numbers 

 from Sk4ne northwards to the centre of the country. In Denmark, 

 though practically ousted by the Brown Rat in the course of the 

 nineteenth century, it is still found occasionally, possibly as a re- 

 introduction, in Copenhagen (Winge). 



In Germany it was abundant about 1835; Blasius describes it as 

 keeping entire towns to itself, and then, as the Brown Rat advanced, 

 its domain dwindled to districts, streets, and, finally, individual 

 houses. Dead specimens could often then be seen in the gutters of 

 Berlin, and about ten years earlier, in those of Rhineland towns. 

 By 1857 the species had become rare, and by 1879 very rare (Meyer, 

 Nature, 8th and 29th May 1879). In Miinsterland it is said, however, 

 to have occurred commonly in 1883, in places where only the Brown 

 Rat was found before, and in Greitz it appeared to be increasing at the 

 expense of that species (P. Magnus, Sitz.-B. nat. Freunde, Berlin, 1883, 

 47) ; but possibly there is confusion with hibernicus here. 



In France and northern Italy it is now uncommon. Gadeau. de 



