THE POLICE OF NATURE. 
245 
courage, through the resolution of her pet dog, is a circum- 
stance of by no means rare occurrence. I have known 
many cases of the kind not only among ladies but gentlemen 
also ; for when does a man feel more secure from unwelcome 
intruders tlian when he has his faithful friend and guardian, 
his dog, by his side 1 Then why should not ladies have their 
pretty little terrier as a pet and protector, and thereby 
avoid the often miserable consequences resulting from fright 
by mice or rats '? 
After having estimated rat-match dogs and rat-pits 
at their highest possible value, let us, in turn, bring them to 
their proper level. In the first place, we must bear in 
mind, that all the rats are first caught, and then carried 
some miles to the pits, for these dogs to kill. Consequently 
these dogs are neither more nor less than rat butchers, and 
the pits but mere rat slaughter-houses. Secondly, there is 
this fact staring us in the face, which says, would it not be 
far easier for us, when we have the rats secure in cages, just 
to drop them, and the cages too, in the first pond or brook 
we come to, and thus not only save these dogs the trouble, 
but render both them and the pits entirely useless And 
lastly, if farmers in general will only do their duty in 
following out the plans I have laid down, not only will they 
enrich themselves, but increase national independence, by 
doing away with the necessity for the importation of so 
much foreign corn, while, at the same time, rat-pittiDg will 
die a natural death, from the want of rats to carry out their 
matches. But unless farmers bestir themselves, and do 
their duty in this respect, it will remain a matter for serious 
consideration as to the propriety of putting down rat- 
pitting, — a system which, from London alone, annually lets 
loose above 100,000 rats, with all their hungry and multiply- 
ing progeny, to feed and fatten upon the produce of the 
land. 
Before closing this chapter on the " Police of Nature," I 
shall briefly notice the physiology of perspiration and of 
instinct, by v/hich animals are guided in their propensities 
and natural pursuits ; more especially as this knowledge is 
necessary for the proper understanding of the plans I am 
going to lay down in the two next chapters, with regard to 
jthe baiting of traps and the mixing of poisons. 
