8 
THE RAT. 
immense number of 250,000 rats were killed in a few days 
in the sewers of Paris ; and, with the exception of 500 
or 600 black rats, the whole of them were of the brown 
Norwegian species. The black rats do not then live in 
deadly strife with their brown neighbours ; but, on the 
contrary, fraternize and live on terms of domestic habitude, 
whence springs a numerous and motley brood of young ones. 
Now, let us look to this side of the Channel, and see how 
far black rats flourish with us ; then we can form a tolerably 
correct notion as to which climate is most genial to their 
nature, and come to a pretty fair conclusion as to which 
country the black rats would call their father-land, were 
they gifted with the powers of articulation. At all events, 
it is clear that they are no great rarity in Paris. Now, 
for my own part, I have seen thousands of rats in London, 
independently of those I have seen in the country ; yet I 
can safely aver that, with the exception of those seen in the 
" happy family," I never once saw a black rat among them ; 
that is to say, a large-eared, sharp- nosed, fierce-eyed, scaly- 
tailed, sable-coated Mus Rattus. I also add Mr. Waterton's 
own testimony to the fact of their scarcity in this country ; 
since it cost him so much time, trouble, and expense to 
gratify his curiosity in seeing one. Nor is he alone in this 
respect ; for the good people of Bristol, some few years ago, 
were perfectly astonished upon beholding one which had 
been caught, and sent it up to the Philosophical Institution, 
where upon examination they pronounced it to be one of 
the black English rats — " a race which is now nearly extinct, 
having been all but exterminated by the rats now ordi- 
narily met with." 
This, I suppose, was the decision of the philosophers of 
the institution, which perfectly coincides with Mr. Water^ 
ton's views upon the subject. Yet, for my part, I am 
quite at a loss to know, if England be the natal land of 
black rats, why they should be more numerous in France 
than in their native country ? or why the brown rat in 
England should be so barbarous towards the poor native 
nigger, when, at the same time, in Paris, he places him on a 
footing of perfect equality. 
The opinion that the brown rat is a deadly enemy to the 
black rat is refuted by the following : — 
