FIBER ZTBETIITCrS. 289 



Mr. Martin McRae. a clerk of 1\ L. Seiorle & Co , was set upon b\- 

 seven of the 'varmints' and was put to flight, not having any weap- 

 ons with wliich to defend liimself. Shortly afterwards, Larkin 

 Saddler, the Obscrz'ers janitor, passed by and about twenty of the 

 rats began biting at his legs. Larkin kicked about for dear life and 

 Anally got one rat under his foot and crushed it to death. Their 

 sharp teeth began perforating his hide, and juniping over the fence 

 he fled across the mint \-ard and oot awa\- from them, lohn 

 Smith, colored, an employee of the Air Line road, came along- 

 next, and seeing the curious i)ack that beset his ankles, uttered a 

 terrific yell and fled at the top of his speed. \\m. Norman, a col- 

 ored employee of Duls & Co., was the next \-ictim. 1 le had a stick 

 and giving the Muskrats battle killed one of their number and j)ut 

 the others to flight. 



''This is the second annual appearance of these savage pests 

 upon our streets. Where do they come from and who can account 

 for their appearance in our cit)' in such numbers? One theory is 

 that they come from Irwin's creek, making their wa)' up the ceme- 

 tery branch to the flats below the hirst Presbyterian church and 

 thence to the streets of the cit)'. It is very nearly opposite the 

 mint that Charlie Vox was attacked by the rats last year." 



Mr. Ernest E. T. Seton, of Manitoba, writes me that, September 

 13th, 1883, near Carberry, he found a Muskrat in a field of stand- 

 ing wheat a mile and a half from water. The animal showed fight 

 and was captured alive. Mr. Seton writes further : " While 

 travelling on the Rapid City trail in Manitoba, October 2d, 1883, 

 the oxen suddenly shied and turned off the road. Then I saw just 

 ahead what proved to be a Muskrat! It was in a threatening 

 attitude and sprang toward the nose of one of the cattle. On run- 

 ning to it, it seized my trousers in its teeth and held on. When 

 kicked off it did not attempt to escape, but fought until killed. It 

 was a male.' 



