RAVAGES OF THE FIELD RAT. 301 



sions, when his visits to the hives cannot be ascertained, as 

 they are generally paid during the night. In hot sultry 

 weather, when the bees lie out during the night in clusters 

 for the benefit of the air, the toad will frequently place 

 itself under the cluster ; and as it frequently happens that 

 a few will fall to the ground, the toad makes a dainty meal 

 of them, before they can regain their companions. We once 

 killed a toad under one of our hives, and found nineteen 

 undigested bees in its stomach. This appetite of the toad for 

 bees is confirmed by Lapoutre, who, in his Traite sur les 

 Abeilles, mentions that he once found twenty bees in the 

 stomach of a toad. The wasp, as well as the bee, is a bonne 

 bouche for the toad ; but if he would let the latter alone, 

 we would not quarrel with him as to the number which he 

 might devour of the former, and under those circumstances, 

 he should have our zealous co-operation in the augmentation 

 of his species ; but, as he exhibits such a decided partiality 

 for the bee, a spade or a rake generally puts an end to his 

 existence, and we advise all keepers of bees to follow our 

 example. 



The field rat has been classed amongst the enemies of the 

 bees, but we do not believe that any are bold enough to 

 dare to enter a hive, the bees of which are in a state of even 

 ordinary activity : they would suffer severely from so dan- 

 gerous an experiment, for they would not be able to offer 

 any resistance to the multitude of stings which would be 

 poured into them. It is, however, certain that one field rat 

 will in one night destroy the most populous hive. Lombard 

 mentions an instance of entrapping a field rat in one of his 

 hives during one of the cold nights of May, and that the 

 platform was covered with the remains of the bees, which 

 the animal had begun to devour. We never knew but one 

 instance of a hive suffering in this country from the ravages 

 of the field rat ; and to prevent its ascent to the hive, it will 

 be found of great benefit to drive a number of tenter hook? 

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