118 
THE KAT. 
bottom has been scarcely an inch deep. But any earthen 
vessel, where the brim is thick, round, and glazed, bothers 
them. Hence arises the necessity for farmers having their 
milk-dishes either of glass or thick earthenware, well glazed 
within and without ; and then they will preserve both their 
milk and cream free from their ravages. 
However offensive and disgusting may be the appearance 
of rats'-teeth marks in our food or furniture, still to workers 
in ivory they are invaluable signs of excellence. The 
" Quarterly Keview " tells us, that the rats are the best 
judges, and that the ivory-turners, &c. always look out for 
their teeth marks on any part of an elephant's tusk they 
may wish to purchase, because the animals invariably attack 
that tusk, or portion of a tusk, which abounds with animal 
oil, in preference to that which contains phosphate of lime. 
Herein do turners, &c. find an infallible guide, where elas- 
ticity and transparency are the necessary qualities for a 
material much used in the decorative arts. 
CHAPTER XY. 
APtTICLES MANUFACTURED FROM RAT-SKINS, — LADY's 
GLOVES, &C. 
Having so far treated of the nature and habits of the 
rat, let us now proced to ascertain the nature of his skin 
and carcass. 
'Now my readers may be anxious to know for what pur- 
pose the London merchant purchased the six hundred 
thousand rat-skins in Paris ; and for their enlightenment I 
will tell them. It was to change these skins from the 
loathsome, detestable things they were, into the most valued 
of all manufactured articles, because they are coveted by the 
ladies, and courted by the gentlemen. This may surprise the 
reader, but I will soon solve the mystery. In the first 
place, we will take the most beautiful, and at the same 
time the most dangerous, thing in creation. You will ask 
me what that can be, and my reply is — The fair hand of a 
lady, which, from the beginning, has made more fools of 
