114 
DescrIpP. 
Ra Bo Crass I. 
young, near a chimney; and improves the warmth 
of it, by forming there a magazine of wool, bits of 
cloth, hay or ftraw. It breeds frequently in the - 
year, and brings about fix or feven young at a time: 
this fpecies increafes fo faft, as to over-ftock their 
abode; which often forces. them, through defici- 
ency of food, to devour one another : this unnatural — 
difpofition happily prevents even the human race 
from becoming a prey to them: not but that there 
are inftances of their gnawing the extremities of 
infants in their fleep. 
The greateft enemy the rats have is the wees 
which makes infinitely more havoke among them 
than the cat; for the weefel is not only endowed with 
fuperior agility; but, from the form ofits body, can 
purfue them through all their retreats that are imper- 
vious to the former. The Norway rat has alfo 
creatly leffened their numbers, and in many places 
almoft extirpated them: this will apologize for 
a brief defcription of an animal once fo well known. 
Its length from the nofe to the origin of the tail, is 
feven inches: the tail is near eight inches long: 
the nofe is fharp-pointed, and furnifhed with long 
whifkers: the color of the head and whole upper 
part of the body is a deep iron-grey, bordering on 
black; the belly is of a dirty cinereous hue; the legs 
are of a dufky color, and almoft naked: the fore- 
feet want the thumb or interior toe, having only in 
its place aclaw: the hind-feet are furnifhed with five 
toes. 
Among 
