355 Ground Vermin. 



ringleaders, and thus leave the community without guides 

 or advisers. 



In dealing with rats it is necessary to bear in mind 

 always that they are in the habit of covering great dis- 

 tances in search of food, and also that they repeatedly 

 and maybe continually shift their quarters. The rats 

 which may attack the foster-hens, the chicks in rearing- 

 coops, and the poults on the one hand, or the clutch 

 of the wild pheasant or partridge on the other, do not 

 necessarily harbour near the scenes of their depredations. 

 Oftener than not they come from a distance, and pos- 

 sibly from the buildings of the farms, the cottages, or the 

 house itself situated upon the preserve. It is useless 

 for the gamekeeper to start to kill down the skir- 

 mishing rats if he leave the main body of the army of 

 vermin unmolested. He must strike in both directions. 

 It is, I know, customary to separate the two jobs, but to 

 be effective the gamekeeper must himself, or by his men, 

 deal with both. It is for this reason that I give instruc- 

 tions as to dealing with the indoor as well as the outdoor 

 vermin. 



The destruction of rats in and about outbuildings, corn- 

 ricks, &c., can be commenced by going round every 

 evening once or twice. Each building may be visited in 

 turn, the door being first of all quietly unfastened, and a 

 dog let in suddenly to take his chance of any being on 

 the ground, while the man should be provided with a stick 

 and also a bull's-eye lantern giving a strong light, by which 

 one can notice any rats going up the corners of the wall, 

 or which may be lying still, as they often do when 

 suddenly confronted with danger, when they should 

 immediately receive a quietly-given, well-directed blow. 

 Rushing about and indiscriminate hitting are of no avail. 

 In granaries and barns infested with rats the vermin often 



A A 2 



