62 
THE KAT. 
found the bodies of seven rats, all of which had been regaling 
themselves in the bottom cheese, when it fell in and crushed 
them in the ruins. 
It appears from the accounts of several authors, that the 
rats of England, like the rats of Jamaica, have at times a 
liking for fruits. A gentleman residing at Battle, states that 
the renowned Battle Abbey abuts on his neighbour's garden, 
where he has a fine Morella cherry-tree growing against the 
wall. For some days past he had missed great numbers of 
cherries from his tree, and could not detect the thief. But 
at length, walking one day at noon, he saw a house-rat deli- 
berately biting the cherries off by the stalks, and taking 
them away to a hole in the wall. This is a most extraor- 
dinary occurrence, as, the cherries being bitter, one would 
have imagined that they would be far from palatable. 
I have been informed by several butchers in Newgate 
market, that rats are the most troublesome creatures they 
have to contend with ; that every day in their lives all the 
meat they have left on hand, must be hung up out of their 
reach, or, in the night, they will so mangle and drill it, that 
nothing after can be done Avith it except for sausage-meat. 
It matters little whether it be mutton, beef, pork, veal, or 
lamb ; to them all are the same. Xor is it always safe from 
them even when hung up ; for if there be any possibility of 
clambering or jumping up, they will have it ; and though 
we are apt to view them in a most mean and contemptible 
light, nevertheless they are epicureans in their way, for, 
should a hind quarter of beef by any accident fall or be left 
upon the blocks or benches, they will not eat the leg or 
shin — oh, no ! but will plunge vigorously into the softer parts 
of the rump or sirloin, and thus destroy the most valuable 
joints. 
On the whole, it seems perfectly clear, that in a colony 
of rats, various portions of them possess different likings and 
dispositions, and classify themselves accordingly. Hence it 
is, that in the spring one party will betake themselves to 
the fields, a second to the hedges and ditches, a third to 
the water-side, and a fourth to the game-preserves ; while a 
fifth will remain at home in the farmsteads to the great 
annoyance of the good dame and her daughters. But even 
