44 



THE BROWN EAT IN THE UNITED STATES. 



In a large barn near Washington, a few years ago, piles of unhusked 

 corn shocks were left in the loft and were soon infested with rats. 

 A wooden pen was set down surrounding the piles in turn and the corn 

 thrown out until dogs were able to get at the rats. In this way 

 several men and dogs killed 500 rats in a single day. 



Burmese rat trap. — The Burmese use an ingenious and simple 

 method of trapping rats. A large jar with a weighted cover is sunken 

 into the ground (fig. 4). A hole is punched in the side of the jar 

 on a level with the surface of the ground and just large enough to 



/ 2 



Fig. 3. — Barrel traps: 1, With stiff paper cover; 2, with hinged barrel cover; a, stop; b, baits. 



admit a large rat. Paddy (rice) is used in the jar as a bait. A 

 writer states that he saw 72 rats caught in one such trap the first 

 night it was set. a 



POISONS. 



While the use of poison is the best and quickest way to get rid of 

 rats, the odor from the dead animals makes the method impracticable 

 in occupied houses. Poison, however, may be effectively used in 

 barns, stables, sheds, cribs, and other outbuildings. 



Among the principal poisons that have been recommended for 

 killing rats are barium carbonate, strychnine, arsenic, and phosphorus. 



Barium carbonate. — One of the cheapest and most effective poisons 

 for rats and mice is barium carbonate. 6 This mineral has the advan- 

 tage of being without taste or smell. It has a corrosive action on the 

 mucous lining of the stomach and is dangerous to larger animals if 



«The Field (London), vol. 35, p. 286, 1870. 



& Barium carbonate, as well as some other salts of barium, is often called "barytes. " 

 In its native form it is known as ' ' witherite. " True barytes is barium sulphate, which 

 is too insoluble for practical use as a poison for rats. 



