46 



Rats and Mice 



It is true that a Fox, if not prevented, will quickly kill every bird 

 in a pheasantry or hen-roost to which it gains access ; but this 

 does not affect the principle — pheasants and hens do not enjoy, in 

 this country, the natural protection they require ; in their own 

 homes, as wild birds, they are beset with foes, but nevertheless 

 the stock survives. 



The high fecundity of small rodents has been developed 

 apparently to enable them to survive the many attacks to which 

 they are exposed ; in purely natural conditions and in average 

 seasons it is probably not excessive for that purpose. The precise 

 rate of breeding, however, is dependent upon the food-supply and 

 the meteorological conditions to a very large extent. When both 

 are favourable to the rodents, they multiply at an amazing rate, 

 and the carnivora (of all kinds), even when abundant, may be unable 

 to remove so large a proportion as usual of the surplus produced. 

 If the ensuing winter and spring be mild, part of the surplus will 

 remain over to the following breeding season ; and should one or 

 two years of this character succeed each other the inevitable 

 result will be a Mouse Plague." The development of such a 

 plague involves necessarily great monetary loss to the rural 

 community, and at moments such as these it might lead to 

 national disaster. The plague cures itself in due course by 

 starvation and disease among the rodents, but the cure may bring 

 with it a deadly threat to human health. The risk of Mouse 

 Plague developing is continuous ; by carefully preserving our 

 carnivora (Mammals and Birds) in due numbers we minimize the 

 risk and ameliorate the evil when a plague happens. The weather 

 may be lenient to rodents, the carnivora never. 



Enough has now been said, perhaps, to justify the assertion 

 that carnivora in general, and Stoats and Weasels in particular, 

 are among the best friends the British farmer and the public at 

 large possess. But a special word has to be addressed to the 

 game- preserver pure and simple. He must not forget that a 

 carnivorous palate is not the exclusive property of carnivorous 

 animals properly so called; the development of such tastes is 

 merely a matter of opportunity and competition ; squirrels, for 

 instance, are carnivorous whenever and wherever they get the 

 chance. The Brown Eat is on occasion almost as bloodthirsty as 

 the Stoat ; if Stoats and Weasels were exterminated, the numbers of 

 this species would increase very rapidly ; as a consequence large 

 numbers of them would be obliged to assume the carnivorous role 



