24 
THE EAT. 
suring eight or ten feet from corner to corner. The ferret 
was put in, and it was astonishing to see the systematic way 
in which he set about his work. Some of tlie larger rats 
were very great cowards, and surrendered with scarcely a 
struggle ; while some of the smaller, or three -parts-grown 
ones, fought most desperately. One of these drew my par- 
ticular attention. The ferret, in making his attacks, was 
beaten off several times, to his great discomfiture ; for the rat 
bit him most severely. At last the ferret bustled the fight 
and succeeded in getting the rat upon its back, with one of his 
feet upon the lower part of its belly. In this position they 
remained for some minutes, with their heads close to each 
other, and their mouths wide open. The ferret was rather 
exhausted with his former conflicts, and every move he made 
the rat bit him. At last he lost his temper, and making one 
desperate effort, he succeeded in getting the rat within his 
deadly grasp. He threw himself upon his side, and, cud- 
dling the rat close to him, he fixed his teeth in its neck. 
While thus engaged, a rat was running carelessly about ; 
all at once, when near the ferret, it threw up its head, as if 
a new idea had struck it; it retreated till it met with 
another, and it was astonishing to see the instantaneous 
effect produced in the second. Off they ran together to the 
corner where the ferret lay. The fact was, they scented the 
blood of either the rat or ferret, which in both was running 
in profusion. Without any further ceremony they seized the 
ferret fast by the crown of the head, and drew themselves 
up for a comfortable suck of warm blood. The ferret, 
feeling the smart, thought it was his old opponent that was 
struggling in his grasp, and bit his lifeless victim most 
furiously. Presently he let go the dead rat, and seemed 
astounded at the audacity of the others. He began to 
struggle, and they seemed quite offended at being disturbed 
at their repast. He very soon, however, succeeded in catch- 
ing hold of one of them, and the other ran away, but only 
for a few seconds. The ferret demolished the whole fifty 
considerably under the hour. ISTevertheless, two facts were 
established beyond a doubt — first, that rats are perfectly 
carnivorous ; and, secondly, that they delight in sucking hot 
blood. 
Having thus given some accounts of the worst propen- 
