Practical Game-Preserving. 354 



The rat is peculiarly adapted by nature to accomplish 

 an enormous amount of mischief, and at the same time 

 to avoid the danger likely to accrue from its boldness. 

 For its size it is wonderfully fleet, and its fleetness is 

 assisted by unusual agility. For descending surfaces 

 having great slope, and even perpendicular walls, it has a 

 peculiar modification of its hinder feet, by means of which 

 they may be reversed from their ordinary position, and thus 

 be capable of laying hold of any inequalities that may 

 exist ; it can support itself until the fore-legs have again 

 obtained a purchase. The reverse of this movement takes 

 place when the rat ascends a perpendicular wall sufficiently 

 uneven to admit of it. Its fleetness, too, when endeavour- 

 ing to escape, and the consummate agility with which it 

 traverses narrow ridges, and dodges from one spot to 

 another, are great aids to it when attacked by a dog; 

 while the brave manner in which it defends itself to the 

 very last moment, whether against its canine enemy when 

 captured, or the ferret seeking its destruction within the 

 intricacies of its ramified dwelling, is always worthy of 

 admiration. True, there are rats to be found of cowardly 

 disposition, but they are very few. 



Before considering the means by which rats may be 

 caught and killed, it may be well to remark upon the 

 great advantage the vermin have in a sense of smell of 

 exceeding acuteness, and, moreover, like nearly all other 

 vermin, a great fear of the scent of human beings. In 

 the war of extermination against rats I must impress upon 

 anyone so intent the absolute necessity of employing the 

 utmost care. As soon as instinct tells of operations of 

 extent and determination against them, rats become 

 extremely cautious, and, before one commences the 

 employment of traps or possibly poisons, some means 

 should be adopted at short intervals to clear off the 



