RAT 
are raifed to prevent inundations. It forms it's 
hole very near the edge of the water, where it 
chiefly refides during the fumruer, feeding on 
final! animals, fifh, and grain. Vv'hen winter ap- 
proaches, it draws near fome farm-houfe, and 
burrows in the corn, where it confumcs much, 
but waflres more. In fhort, nothing eatable efcapes 
it's voracity. It deftroys rabbits, poultry, and 
all forts of game; and fcarcely any of the feebler 
animals can efcape it's rapacity, except the moufe, 
which finds proteftion in it's little hole, where fo 
large an enemy can by no means enter. 
Buifon and Goldlmith aiTert that Rats fre- 
quently bring forth from fifteen to thirty at a 
time; but Pennant limits the number to eighteen. 
Their bite is not only fevere, but dangerous; 
the wound being immediately fucceeded by a 
large and painful tumefa6tion, which requires a 
confiderable time before it can be healed. They 
are fometim.es fo daring as to turn on their pur- 
fuers, and endeavour to faften on the ftick or 
hand of the perfon who attempts to moleft them. 
The head, back, and fides, of the Rat, are of a 
light brown colour, mixed with tawny and a.(h ; 
the bread and belly are a dirty white ; the feet are 
naked, and of a dull flefh-colour, the fore ones 
being furnifned with four toes, and a claw inftead 
of the fifth. The length, from the nofe to the 
tail, is about nine inches; and the tail is about 
the fame length. 
This animal differs principally in colour and 
fize from the black, or common Rat, as it is gene- 
rally called, though now no longer coaimon. 
This new invader, polTelTing fuperior ftreng^h, 
has found m.eans to defcroy alVnoft the whole fpe- 
cies, and to occupy their retreats. 
Indeed, not only the black Rat, but all other 
animals of inferior frrength, v/ere obliged to fiib- 
mit to the rapacity of the Norway Rat. The frog 
was utterly incapable of combat or defence. It 
had been intentionally introduced into Ireland, 
fome years before the arrival of the Norv/av Rat, 
and began to multiply exceedingly. The natives 
were p^leafed with the addition of this harmlefs 
animal to the zoology of their country: it ferved 
to rid their fields of infcrils; and, as tliey ima- 
gined, contributed to render their waters more 
falubrious. But the Norv/ay Rat foon put a pe- 
riod to it's propagation; for, being of an amphi- 
bious nature, it puriued the frog to th.c watery 
element, and feized it as it's prey. Frogs are 
therefore faid to be once m.ore become alinod ex- 
tinft in that kingdom; and the Norw:iy Rats, 
having fewer animals to deftroy, and confequently 
a more icanty provifion, are aifo grown lefs nume- 
rous. 
The prodigious increafe of thefe animals would 
fj^eediiy over-run the vvhole country, did they not 
deftroy each other. The large male Rat gene- 
rally keeps in a hole by itfelf, and is dreaded by 
it's own fpecies as their moit formidable enemy. 
Thus are thefe pernicious creatures kept vv'ithin 
due bounds; and that their fecundity may not 
prove incommodipus to mankind, it is repreffed 
by their o\vn rapacity. 
All the fironger carnivorous animals entertain 
a natural antipathy againft thefe Rats. The dog, 
though he dctefts their fiefh, purfues them with 
alacrity, and attacks them v/ith great animofiry. 
Such dogs as are habituated to the dellruftion of 
thefe veririin, difpatch them with a fingle fqueeze j 
but noviccs; which generally hefi:atej are fure to 
prove fufferers. The Rat always takes advah-' 
tage of a momentary delay; and, inftead of wait- 
ina; for the attack, becomes the ao-o-reffor, feizinor 
it's enemy by the lip, and often infliding a dan- 
gerous wound. 
Cats are alfo great defi:royers of Rats ; and yet 
many are afraid either to affault them, or, wheii 
killed, to feed on them. Some indeed v/ill purfue 
and feize the Rat, tliough t'ney often meet with a 
vigorous refiftance. When very hungry, the cat 
will fometimes eat the head; but generally con- 
tents itfelf with the viftory. The weafel, how- 
ever, is one of the Rat's mod dangerous foes, 
from which it cannot eafily efcape; and man him- 
felf has contrived a variety of expedients to re- 
duce the number of thefe ungrateful intruders. 
When animals are either entirely ufelefs or ini- 
mfical ; when they either increafe our terrors, or 
fubfift on our induftry, v/ithout any grateful re- 
turns; mankind have ever deemed it falutary to 
ftudy the mofc effeftual means of their deftrnc- 
tion: rewards have been propofed to ftimulate in- 
genuity; and the arts of individuals have fome- 
times proved beneficial to the community. Moit 
people know by experience what detriment is 
received from the animals now under confidera- 
tion ; and therefore it is hoped the follo'.ving re- 
ceipts for their deftruftion will be as acceptable 
as any part of their hiftory. 
The Dublin Society gave a premium, in 1762, 
to a perfon of the name of O'Hara, for this pre- 
fcription : Take one quart of oatmeal, four drops 
of rhodium, one grain of mufl<, and two nuts of 
nux vomica, finely rafped. Form this mixture 
into pellets, and lay it in the holes and places 
v/hich the Rats frequent. 
Another celebrated receipt. Take of the feeds 
of fhaves-acre, or louftr-wort, powdered, one 
fourth part; and of oatmeal three parts : mix them 
v/ell, and make them up into a palle with honey. 
Lay pieces of it in the hole? and places frequented 
by Rats or mice, and it will infallibly kill fuch of 
them as are tem.pted to eat it. 
However, Rat-catchers have adopted more 
compendious methods of deftroving numbers at 
once. To effect this, their firfl objeft is to drav/ 
the Rats of any houfe to one proper fituation, be- 
fore they attempt to moleft them ; for there is fuch 
an inftinftive caution in thefe animals, accompa- 
nied with fuch a furprifing fagacity in difcovering 
the moil diftant approach of danger, that if any 
of them are injured, or purfued in an unufual 
mjanner, the reft take the alarm, and become fo 
very lliy and wary, that they elude all the devices 
and ftratagems of their purfuers for a confiderable 
period afterwards. This place, where the Rats 
are to be afi'embled, fhould be a fmall room, into 
which all tlie avenues may be fecured; and it 
fhould be fituated as nearly as poITible to the cen - 
tre of the building. 
Various means are ufed to allure thefe animals 
to a defired place. One of which, very eafily and 
eificacioufly praftifed, confifts in trailing fome 
pieces of their mioft favourite food (which fhould 
be of that kind which emits the ftrongefl fcent, 
fuch as toafted cheefe, or broiled red herrings) 
from their holes or entrances to their acceffes in 
every part of the houfe, or contiguous buildings, 
whence it is intended to draw them. At the ex- 
tremities, and in different parts of the courfe or 
this trailed ti'ack, fmall c|uantities of meat, of 
fome favourite food, f!:iouid be laid, in order to 
bnnp- 
