GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RATS. 
25 
sities of rats, it is but fair to present some autlienticated 
facts, as well as my own personal observation, in confirma- 
tion of their better qualities. 
Mr. Bell quotes a case of fraternal affection among rats 
from Mr. Jesse. A gentleman was walking out in the 
meadows one evening, and observed a number of rats in 
the act of migrating from one place to another, which it 
is well known they are in the habit of doing occasionally. 
He stood perfectly still while the whole assembly passed 
close to him. His astonishment, however, was great when 
he saw an old blind rat, which held a piece of stick at one 
end in its mouth, while another rat had hold of the other 
end of it, and thus conducted its blind companion. He also 
says that it is very evident, from several instances, that the 
rat is not insensible to kindness, and that it may be power- 
fully attached to those who feed and caress it. 
The Kev. W. Cotton gives an instance of fidelity among 
rats : — " On a bright moonlight evening, we discovered two 
rats on the plank coming into the ship. The foremost was 
leading the other by a straw — one end of which each held 
in its mouth. We managed to capture them both, and 
found, to our surprise, that the one led by the other was 
stone blind. His faithful friend was trying to get him on 
board, where he would have comfortable quarters during a 
three years' cruise." 
The maternal affection of rats for their young is not, 
perhaps, to be surpassed by any other animal ; and so far 
from their being the low, degraded, dirty, ignoble creatures 
that many imagine them to be, they are, on the contrary, 
perfectly aristocratic in their habits and notions. Sir W. 
Jardine says : " The rat is a very cleanly animal ; for even 
when its residence is in a ditch, or sewer, in the midst of all 
sorts of filth, it almost invariably preserves itself from pollu- 
tion ; and in parts remote from towns its fur is often possessed 
of considerable beauty. Although, on account of the injury it 
inflicts upon us, and the abhorrence with which in childhood 
we are taught to regard it, few persons will be apt to dis- 
cover much beauty in a rat ; nevertheless, any one who has 
taken notice of rats, can bear testimony to the fact, that m 
all their leisure time they are constantly sitting on end 
cleaning their fur, and seem perfectly restless and unhappy 
