68 
THE RAT. 
attack them. He lias bred many wild ducks, and can 
well attest the damage done hy the rats and pike ; and if 
the old duck is lucky enough to get away with a brood of 
twelve or fourteen young ones, it very seldom happens she 
can rear more than half, or one-third, of those that were 
hatched. The rats are sure to have a share, as they do of 
the young pheasants and partridges. How often will one rat 
pay visits to a coop, under which are chickens, duckliugs, or 
other young things, and, before it is detected, carry off and 
kill half the brood. What then must be the number killed 
by them when un watched and unmolested in their savage 
occupation amongst the unsuspecting young pheasants and 
other birds, while wandering about in every direction 1 
CHAPTER VIII. 
PREDATORY AND DESTRUCTIVE HABITS OF RATS. 
In this chapter I shall commence with the slaughtering 
propensities of the rat, as regards singing-birds, rabbits, 
poultry, &c., and conclude with their consumption of horses. 
But in so doing let me remark, that there is scarcely a charge 
. which can be recorded against rats, where there are not thou- 
sands upon thousands of individuals to be met with who can 
vouch for the probability of such charge by parallel cases, in 
which they themselves have been eye-witnesses. Nor can 
we speak in any company about rats, without there being 
individuals present who have some charge or charges to 
prefer against them. Before giving a few statistical facts, in 
substantiation of the evidence adduced by the various 
authors quoted, allow me to state that the Mus decumanus, 
or common Brown Bat, will, wherever it may be stationed, 
follow the bent of its nature ; and though our Salopian friend 
may give his experience of the rats of Shropshire, and Mr. 
Newman his knowledge of the rats of Derbyshire, yet they 
may rest assured that the rats of Lincolnshire can equal the 
exploits of the rats of Shropshire or Derbyshire, for unquali- 
fied daring or rapacity ; that the rats of Nottinghamshire 
can equal the rats of Lincolnshire ; and the rats of Devon- 
