216 



arctic winter, when Doctor Kane attributed his entire immunity from 

 scurvy to his diet of fresh rats, of which none of the other members 

 of the party would partake."^ 



The statement is often made in newspapers, and even in encyclo- 

 pedias, that in Europe, and especially in France, rat skms are exten- 

 sively xised in the manufacture of gloves. The late Frank T. Buck- 

 land, about a haK century ago, made diligent inquiry in London, and 

 through friends in Paris and other places on the Contiuent, but found 

 no confirmation of such statement. He concluded that either rat 

 skins were not used for making gloves or the manufacturers were 

 unwilling to acknowledge such a use.'' Personally, the writer has 

 been unable to learn of any demand or market for rat skins at the 

 present time. They are not strong, and the fur is of inferior quahty. 

 The occasional findmg of one or more rat skins in the fur lining of 

 coats is probably to be explained by the fact that they are sometimes 

 included in lots of small muskrat skins ("kitts") and overlooked by 

 the buyer. 



DESTRUCTIVENESS OF THE RAT. 



Rats inflict injury in a surprising number of ways, and before an 

 attempt is made to consider the magnitude of the losses due to these 

 animals a statement of the nature of their depredations should be 

 made. 



DAMAGE TO GRAINS. 



Ctdtivated grains are the favorite food of rats. The animals begin 

 their depredations by digging up the newly-sown seed. They eat 

 the' tender sprouts when they first appear, and continue destroying 

 the plants until the crop matures. They then attack the grain itself, 

 and after harvest take toll from shock, stack, mow, crib, granary, 

 elevator, mill, and warehouse. When rats are abundant their 

 depredations amount to an appreciable percentage of the entire yield 

 of grain, and in exceptional cases whole crops have been ruined. 



INDIAN CORN. 



Probably this crop suffers greater injury from rats than any other 

 in the United States. To some extent the animals dig up newly 

 planted corn, but their injury to the matm-ing grain is far greater. 

 They are especially fond of com in the milk stage, and often climb the 

 upright stalks and strip the cobs bare. In this way sometimes whole 

 fields are destroyed. 



Com in the shock is often attacked by rats, especially in parts of 

 fields adjacent to hedges, drains, or embankments that afford shelter 



a Second Grinnell Expedition, vol. 1, p. 393, 1856. 



b Curiosities of Natural History, first series, p. 83, 1857 (Reprint 1900). 



