MUS DECUMAXUS. 269 



Family Murid.e. 



MUS DECUMANUS I'^-'Has. 

 Rat. 



This iil)iquitous naturalized exotic is found even within the con- 

 fines of the Adirondacks. I^ut his presence here omens no o'ood. 

 Like the lumberman, whose footsteps he follows, he is the personi- 

 fication of destruction, and desecrates the soil on which he treads. 



He is omnivorous, o;reed\-, and fierce, and is totally lacking- in 

 qualities of a compensatory character. His long- residence in the 

 very stronghold of his enemies has developed hereditar)- habits of 

 great circumspection, and where much persecuted he is one of the 

 most cunning and crafty of mammals. The means devised for his 

 extermination ma\- b(^ nunibered b\- hundreds, but he is so prolific, 

 and so soon learns to avoid the artifices designed for his cai)ture, 

 that he has spread himself over nc^arly the whole ci\-ili/.ed world. 



The Rat ranks among the worst enemies of the farmer. Not 

 only does he force his way into the cellar, the milk-house, and the 

 granar)-; but he also commits great havoc in the jX)ultry-)-ard. 1 le 

 wantonly destroys far more than he consumes. The choicest fruits 

 and vecj'etables are ruined bv a sinolc bite ; smoked hams sus- 

 pended from the rafters show the marks of his sharp teeth ; pans 

 of rich cream are soiled I)}- his lash-like tail ; large: holes through 

 the plank-walls of the oat-bin leave no doubt as to the identity of 

 the thief ; and the constant loss of eggs and of )-oung chickens and 

 ducks ma)' be regarded as one of the most serious t;vils his pres- 

 ence occasions. Even the sleej)ing child and the shrouded corpse 

 have been mutilated b)- his cruel jaws. 



He is not content with deriving his sustenance at our expense, 

 but, to save himself the trouble of a walk between meals, takes up 

 his abode in or under our dwellings and outhouses. In unsettled 

 regions he often makes long journey's from house to house, but I 



