9^' H A T. ClafsL 



ftraw. It breeds frequently in the year, and brings 

 about fix or feven young at a time: this fpecies in- 

 creafes fo faft, as to over- flock their abode : which 

 often forces them, through deficiency of food, to de- 

 vour one another : this unnatural difpolition happily 

 prevents even the human race from becoming a prey 

 to them ; not but that there are inftances of their 

 p-navv'ins; the extremities of infants in their deep. 



The greateft enemy the rats have is the weefel j. 

 which makes infinitely more havoke among them 

 than the cat ; for the weefel is not only endowed 

 with fuperior agility ; but, from the form of its body, 

 can purfue them through all their retreats that are 

 impervious to the former. The Norway, rat has alfo 

 greatly lelTened their numbers,- and in many places 

 almofb 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 fliarp-pointed, and furnifhed with long whif- 

 kers : the colour of the head and whole upper part of 

 the body is a deep iron-grey, bordering on black j 

 the belly is of a dirty cinereous hue ; the legs are of 

 a dufky color, and almofi: naked : the fore-feet wane 

 the thumb or interior toe, having only in its place a 

 claw: the hind-feet are furniOied with five roes. 



Among other officers, his Brilijlj majefty has a;v?/- 

 catcher^ diftinguifiied by a particular drefs, fcarlet em- 

 broidered with yellow worfted, in which are figures of 

 mice deftroying wheat- Iheaves. 



Specie^ 



