BLUE RAT. 
55 
burrows with many chambers and entrances. la 
their chambers they lay up store of provisions* 
collected with great pains in summer, from various 
plants, which they bring out of their holes in a 
sunny day, that they may dry them more effectually. 
During summer they never break upon their 
hoards, but live on berries, and other vegetable 
productions. In certain years they make great 
migrations out of Kamtschatka. They collect in 
the spring, and go off in incredible multitudes. 
Like the lemmus, they go on in a direct course* 
and neither rivers nor arms of the sea stop their 
progress. In their passage through the watery 
element, numbers of them fall a prey to ravenous 
fishes. But on land they are safe ; for the people 
of Kamtschatka have a superstitious veneration 
for them, and are so far from hurting them, that if 
they find any of them lying faint from fatigue or 
hunger, they give them all possible assistance. 
On their return from a migration, expresses are 
sent to all parts with the glad news. When the 
natives rob them, they never take away all their 
store, but leave them something to subsist on. 
Blue rat. 
This is a species described by Molina, in his 
History of Chili, of which country it is a native, 
and is about the size of the wood rat, and of a 
fine pale blue colour, with rounded ears. It inhabits 
subterraneous burrows, which it forms of the 
length of many feet, and on each side of which are 
several holes, or rececptcles, in which it depo- 
sits its winter provisions, consisting chiefly of 
tuberous roots, &c . It is a timid animal, and is 
said to be very cleanly. It breeds twice a year, 
producing six at a time. The peasants of Chili 
