POISONING OF EATS. 
261 
back to their holes. To prevent accidents to dogs, cats, and 
poultry, spread it in an iron or tin vessel, hung bottora 
upwards with wire over a beam, leaving just room enough 
for rats to pass under easily. 
A gentleman living at Hammersmith (as we have before 
mentioned) lately lost 350 of his favourite song-birds from 
rats in one night. He tried several means for their destruc- 
tion, but without effect. At last he hit upon the following- 
plan, which proved eminently successful. Pie procured some 
fresh herrings and sprats ; then cutting two pieces of stick to 
use as a knife and fork, he opened the bellies of the fish, and, 
after lining their insides with finely-powdered carbonate of 
fearytes, laid them down, as if by accident, to avoid suspicion. 
The plan answered so well that it destroyed the whole rat 
colony. He says it must be powdered barytes, and the 
commoner the better, for the purified article is ineffective,, 
as well as costly ; and if you cannot get fresh herrings or 
sprats, a soft Yarmouth bloater will do as well. 
A well-known naturalist's prescription for poisoning rats 
and mice is precipitated carbonate of barytes ; not the common 
carbonate, because that, he says, is as gritty as arsenic, and 
creates suspicion, while the precipitated is as fine and soft 
as fine flour. He recommends its being prepared by a 
druggist, who is most accustomed to such things. But the 
following is the method, and any careful person can do it : — 
Dissolve an ounce and a half of common washing soda in 
half a pint of water ; then put into a bottle one ounce of 
carbonate of barytes with another half-pint of water ; that 
done, pour the soda into the bottle, a wine-glass at a time, 
and well shake the bottle after each addition. The liquid 
will become white and thick, and must be thoroughly shaken 
when all the soda is in ; then set it aside to settle quite 
clear, which may take twelve hours. It will settle much 
quicker if made with hot water ; but then the powder is 
not so fine, and does not answer so well. When settled 
quite clear, pour off the water as close as possible from the 
sediment ; then fill the bottle again with water, and shake 
it well up, to wash out all the soda, &c. from the barytes ; 
let it settle a second time, and when clear, pour off the 
water as close as possible ; then turn out the powder on to 
