BROWN OR NORVv AY RAT. 
2Y 
stop every evening at some tavern, the probability is that she procured food 
for herself by getting out during the night and picking up corn, &c. 
The Norway Rat frequently deserts a locality in which it has for some 
lime remained and proved a great pest. When this is the case, the whole 
tribe journey to other quarters, keeping together and generally appearing 
in numbers in their new locality without any previous warning to the un- 
lucky farmer or housekeeper to whose premises they have taken a fancy. 
When we first moved to our retreat, nine miles above the city of New- 
York, we had no rats to annoy us, and we hoped it would be some time be- 
fore they discovered the spot where we had located ourselves. But in the 
course of a few months a great many of them appeared, and we have 
occasionally had eggs, chickens and ducklings carried off by them to the 
number of six or more in a night. We have never been able to get rid of 
this colony of rats, and they have even made large burrows in the banks 
on the water side, where they can hardly be extirpated. 
The Norway Rat is quite abundant in New-York and most other mari- 
time cities, along the wharves and docks, and becomes very large. These 
animals are frequently destroyed in great numbers, while a ship is in port, 
after her cargo has been discharged, by smoking them ; the fumes of sul- 
phur and other suffocating materials, being confined to the hold by closing 
all parts, windows and hatches. After a thorough cleaning out, a large 
ship has been known to have had many thousands on board. Our old 
I'riend, Capt. Cumings, who in early life made many voyages to the East 
Indies, relates to us, that one of his captains used to have rats caught, 
when on long voyages, and had them cooked and served up at his table 
as a luxury. He allowed his sailors a glass of grog for every rat they 
caught, and as the supply was generally ample, he used to invite his mates 
and passengers to partake of them with due hospitality. Our friend, who 
was a mate, had a great horror of the captain’s invitations, for it was some- 
times difficult to ascertain in what form the delicate animals would appear, 
and to avoid eating them. Not having ourselves eaten rats, (as far as w'e 
know,) we cannot say whether the old India captain’s fondness for them 
was justified by their possessing a fine flavour, but we do think prejudices 
are entertained against many animals and reptiles that are, after all, pretty 
good eating. 
In the account of the black rat in our first volume, {Musrattus,) pp. 190, 
191, and 192, we gave some details of the habits of the present species, 
and stated our opinion in regard to its destroying the black rat. Dr. God- 
max considered the Norway Rat so thorough an enemy of the black rat, 
that he says, (vol. 2, p. 83,) in speaking of the latter, that it is now found 
only in situations to which the Brown Rat has not extended its migrations, 
