Quadrupeds. 295 



ber of the society, it never had the civility to wait for a second shot 

 if I missed the first. And I believe it is a well known fact, that if you 

 come upon a Hanover rat in such a manner that he has no chance of 

 escape, he will even fiercely attack you instead of giving way to terror. 



I may be wrong in the solution I have suggested for this seemingly 

 anomalous conduct of the water-rat ; and moreover, it may not appear 

 to other and more experienced observers the anomaly it does to me. 

 But as I said above, I do not know of anything analogous to it ; and 

 those facts with respect to the habits of animals, inhabitants of our 

 islands, which have some appearance of analogy, do not, on examina- 

 tion, prove really to have any. I refer to such instances as the unre- 

 sisting victory the Hanover rat, under certain circumstances, yields to 

 the ferret ; the sluggish, nerveless, apologies for attempts to escape 

 made by the hare and rabbit when pursued by a stoat ; the remaining 

 of the same animals in their seats until seized by the dog, or taken up 

 by the hand ; — and the like. 



In the first case the rat has got into the hole which affords no mode 

 of exit, by its very efforts to escape from the object of alarm ; and this 

 circumstance at once removes from it all resemblance to the matter 

 in question. In the next instance, supposing the hare or rabbit to be 

 influenced by despair (which is, I think, the common explanation of 

 their behaviour), just add to its alarm by showing yourself suddenly, 

 or raising an outcry, and away it goes at full speed. And again, 

 when either of these animals perseveres in keeping its seat, is it not 

 in the hope of escaping detection, and so avoiding danger? And does 

 it not usually occur with young animals ? 



The water-rat is accused of sucking eggs — water-birds' eggs; and 

 justly, I dare say : but I may be permitted to mention the following 

 circumstance. A duck had its nest on the bank of a moat in Essex, 

 in which nest it laid ten or twelve eggs, and proceeded to sit. Two 

 water-rats had their hole close by, in the same bank. That they knew 

 the eggs were there, was indisputable, for I saw them actually upon 

 the nest. But the eggs were not taken away, neither were they suck- 

 ed. I can only suppose, therefore, that the rats eat the moor-hen's 

 eggs, as being the eggs of a bird ^'ferce natural'' but spared these 

 ducks' eggs, forasmuch as they were private property. 



They are also accused of taking the baits off the hooks, when night 

 lines are set for pike or eels. In this case, I fear I cannot say any- 

 thing in their favour ; on the other hand, I must allow J cannot bring 

 the charge clearly home to them. Appearances, however, are very 

 strongly against them ; for I have had bails abstracted, with the loss 



