THE BROWN RAT 



When asleep, the Rat curls its body into a ball with the forehead placed 

 on the ground and the nose tucked under the chest and between the forepaws. 



A dark variety of the Common Rat, entirely black in colour except for 

 a patch of white on the breast, was first observed in Ireland and described by 

 Thompson in 1837, who considered it nearly allied to the Black Rat {mus 

 rattus). It has since been shown to be merely a melanistic form of mus 

 decumanus, which occurs in the Outer Hebrides and also in various English 

 counties, where it appears to be spreading in increased numbers. 



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