RAT 



RAT 



en the fore-parts of the dead rats, and put them down the 

 holes, or avenues, by the fides of the fewers at which they 

 come in ; this puts a llop to the live ones coming any further : 

 for when they perceive the arfenic, they will retire immedi- 

 ately ; whereas, if they were put down without the arfenic, 

 the live ones would cat them. 



It is by means of arfenic, notwithftanding the above ob- 

 fervations, that the mofl certain method of dellreying thefe 

 troublefome vermin, (provided they can be made to eat it,) 

 takes place ; which we have found to anfwer bett, when it 

 is prepared by being finely levigated, and mixed up with very 

 ilrong old cheefe and oatmeal. 



In a note in the Agricultural Survey of Lancafhire, it 

 is ftated, that it is greatly to be lamented that Mr. Heath- 

 cote's method of detlroying rats and mice is not generally 

 known and praftifed ; if it were, there would be a total ex- 

 tirpation of thofe obnoxious and deltruftive animals ; for in 

 one night he totally deftroys them (where he is employed), 

 be tliey ever fo numerous, as can be well attclled by hundreds 

 in the neighbourhood of Ormfliirk, who have employed 

 him. And it is added, that the compofition he makes ufe 

 of he puts in their holes and burrows, and from the fmall 

 quantity he ufes, it is aftoni(hing it fhould have fuch an efFeft : 

 it will keep good two years. It is alfo ilated, that a farmer 

 recommends, for the deftruftion of rats, one ounceof pounded 

 quick-lime to four ounces of tallow cake, to be beaten toge- 

 ther and made into balls, and placed in their runs, which has 

 cleared many buildings. But it has been proved by expe- 

 rience, is is faid, that an ounce of aerated barytes finely 

 powdered, mixed with the tallow, in place of hme, is more 

 effedlual. And it has been remarked by the author of Phy- 

 tologia, with the view of deftroying the water-rats, that 

 they poflefs fome kind of ingenuity fimilar to the beaver in 

 the conftruftion of their houfes near the brinks of rivers and 

 pools ; which have two apertures, one above ground 

 amongft the grafs, and the other beneath the furface of the 

 water ; and unlefs they can hide their upper opening amid 

 weeds, or grafs, they forfake the fituation. Thus, if a 

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

 fo low as to rife only two, three, or four inches above the 

 level of the water ; and if this be kept clean from high grafs 

 er weeds, the rats will defert the pond. 



But after all, it is probable that this highly deftruftive 

 animal, and great peil to the farmer, might be moft readily 

 exterminated by parifties uniting for the purpofe, and raif- 

 ing certain fums of money to be applied in this way, under 

 the direftion of a proper perfon who is fully acquainted with 

 the bufinefs. 



In many grain and other diftridls in the kingdom thefe 

 animals prevail very much, efpecially the grey kind, parti- 

 cularly in all thofe where there are no regular raifed Saddles 

 or Hands for the grain ftacks to reft upon, which is the cafe 

 in a great number. The mifchief, injury, and deftruftion of 

 grain whieh is produced in this way, is fcarcely to be cal- 

 culated ; and they are befides very mifchievous, troublefome, 

 and inconvenient in feveral others ; fo that they (hould be 

 every where extirpated as much as poffihle. And in corn 

 trafts. Hands or ftaddles (liould every where be provided 

 in order to prevent mifchief being done by them. • See Ver- 

 min, and Stanh, Corn. 



Rat, Beaver. See Mus Coypus. 



Rat, Black. See Mus Rattus. 



Rat, Blind. See Mrs Typhlus. 



Rat, Field. See Mu.s Silvatiais. 



Rat Mole. See Mus. 



Rat, Mountain. See Marmot Talpimis, &c. 



Rat, Mu/i. See Mus Zibethicus. 

 6 



Rat, Nornuay or brown, mus Noriueglcus, {Mus decu 

 fwanuj) is a rat whofe head, back, and fides are of a ligin 

 brown colour, mixed with tawny and a(h.colour ; the brealt 

 .ind belly are of a dirty white ; t-he feet naked, and of 

 a dirty fiefh-colour ; the fore-feet are furnifhed with four 

 tocB, and a claw inilead of the fifth : the lengtii from the 

 nofe to the tail is nine inches, and the tail is of the fame 

 length. This animal is more ftrongly made tlian the common 

 black rat, or mus rattus. 



This fpecies of rat, which is the fame animal that is 

 called in the Eaft Indies a bondicote, now inhabits moft parts 

 of Europe ; wliither it is fuppofed to have been brought 

 within the laft century, in fomc of the India /hips. It 

 came into Great Britain about 70 or 80 years ago, but has not 

 been known in the neiglibourhood of Paris above half that 

 time. They fwarm in Peterfburg, and are known in Pruflia ; 

 but have not yet reached the oppofite fide of the Baltic, as 

 Linnxus takes no notice of this fpecies. Thefe were pro- 

 bably the mures Cafpii of jElian, which made periodical vifits 

 in great multitudes to the countries bordering on the Cafpian 

 fca, fwiiaming boldly over the rivers, holding by one an- 

 other's tail. (.£han. Hill. An. 17. cap. 17.) They burrow, 

 like the water rat, on the fides of ponds and ditches ; fwim 

 and dive well ; live on grain and fi-uits, but vnW deftroy 

 poultry and game ; increafe faft, producing from fourteen to 

 eighteen young at a time ; are very bold and fierce ; will turn, 

 when clofely purfued, and faften on the ftick or hand that 

 offers to ftrike them : they have deftroyed the common black 

 rat in moft places : they inhabit the fields part of the year, 

 but migrate in great numbers into houfes, and do much 

 mifchief. The bite of thefe rats is not only fevere but 

 dangerous ; the wound being immediately attended with a 

 great fwelhng, and healing very {lowly. Pennant. See 

 Mus Decumanus. 



Rat, Norway, is alfo a name given by fome writers to 

 the lemming, or fable moufe. See Mus Ltmmus, and Sable 

 Mouse. 



Rat, Water. See Mus Amphibius. 



Rat, in the Sea Language, is ufed to exprefs a part of 

 the fea, where there are rapid and dangerous currents, or 

 counter-currents. 



Rat-Goo/^, in Ornithology, the name of a fmall fpecies of 

 wild goofe, common in fome of the northern counties of 

 England. 



B^AT-Tails, in the Manege. See Arrets. 



KAT-Tailed. A horfe is thus called that has no hair upon 

 his tail. 



KAT-Tailed Worms, in Natural Hijlory, a fpecies of fly- 

 worms with long tails, refembling thofe of rats, whence 

 they have their name. They are of feveral fizes, and found 

 alfo in different places, but all change into two-winged flies, 

 having very much the refemblance of bees, and commonly 

 called bee-Jlies. See Drone-/'/)'. 



Rat, Cape, in Geography, a cape of Africa, in the Red 

 fea. N. lat. 14° 55'. 



Rat IJland, a fmall ifland in Milford Haven. — Alfo, an 

 ifland in the Red fea. N. lat. 14^ 55'. — Alfo, a fmall 

 ifland in the Eaft Indian fea, near the W. coaft of Sumatra. 

 S. lat. 3° 57'. E. long. 101° 55' — Alfo, a fmall ifland in 

 the Mergui ArchipeLigo, S.W. of Olive ifland. 



RATA pro Rata. See Pro rata. 



Onerando pra Rata poriionis. See Oneraxdo. 



RATAFIA, a fine fpirituous liquor, prepared from the 

 kernels, &c. of feveral kinds of fruits, particularly of cher- 

 ries and apricots. 



Ratafia of cherries is prepared by bruifing the cherries, 

 and putting them into a veflel in which brandy has been long 



kept J 



