CONTENTS 



PAGE 



Preface ......... iii 



Contents ......... v 



List of Illustrations. ...... vii 



Introduction ........ ix 



1. Eats. 



Features Distinguishing the Black Rat from 



THE Brown Rat ...... 1 



Black Rat, Sub-species and History ... 2 



Brown Rat, Races and History .... 5 



Rats, General Habits ...... 6 



Breeding Habits ..... 10 



Economic Importance ..... 13 



In Relation to Disease .... 16 



Plague ....... 17 



Trichinosis ...... 18 



Influenza and Other Diseases of Domestic 



Animals ...... 20 



Contamination of Food .... 21 



The Possibility of the Extermination of Rats 21 



Rat Prevention and Rat Extermination . 28 



2. House Mice. 



Distinguishing Features of Common Mouse . . 37 



History ........ 38 



General Habits ....... 39 



Breeding Habits ....... 39 



Economic Importance ...... 40 



Relation to Public Health .... 40 



Mouse Plagues ...... 40 



Control of the Mouse Population ... 42 



3. The Balance of Nature and the Protection of 



Carnivora ........ 43 



4. Notes on Structure and Classification of the 



MURIDAE, with a Key TO BRITISH SPECIES . . 48 



5. Table Showing Assumed Rate of Increase in Rat 



Population ........ 60 



6. Literature ........ 62 



