1 66 The Balance of Nature . [April, 
cats are systematically trapped by game-preservers. Says 
Mr. Morant — “ Does he ever ask himself what these cats 
go to the woods for ? Certainly not to catch rats and mice, 
which are far more numerous close at home.” We doubt 
all this ; leaving field-mice out of the question, we have 
known many cases where houses much infested with mice 
were comparatively clear during the harvest season. Mr. 
Morant himself speaks of the rats venturing out into the 
hedgerows in the summer months. We maintain that when 
Pussy lurks among the ripening grain, and springs upon 
either mouse or rat, or bird engaged in plunder, she is doing 
mankind good service. The ferret is, of course, a useful 
agent in the hands of the professional rat-catcher. As for 
the other animals of the weasel tribe, we have already ex- 
pressed our mistrust of them. Among birds the great 
horned owl is a splendid rat-hunter, though we fear Mr. 
Morant would not approve of his occasional forays upon 
game. The viper will kill both mice and rats, but we can- 
not recommend him for toleration even on that account. 
There are few better rat-hunters in the world than the death- 
snakes of all countries. Singularly enough the mice and 
rats, under certain circumstances, retaliate in kind : they 
eat the eggs of serpents ; they attack the young brood, and 
the adults also when torpid from the winter’s cold. The 
best methods of dealing with rats are already known, and 
merely require putting in force. The abolition of scamped 
work about the foundations of houses, the plentiful use of 
gas-tar or asphaltic preparations in such places, the con- 
struction of ovoid drains and sewers where the vermin may 
find no clinging-room, glass or stoneware pillars for the 
support of corn-stacks 5 will greatly limit its sphere of mis- 
chief. Poison for rats may best be made up in the shape of 
candles. The marauders drag these into their holes without 
suspicion, whilst there is no fear of their being inadvertently 
eaten by children, or even, we think, by dogs. 
So much for the game-destroyers, aCtual or suspeCted. 
Mr. Morant has not a word to say against that loveliest of 
our native British birds, the kingfisher, nor against the 
waders and the water-fowl. He praises Waterton as having 
been in advance of his age in the protection he afforded to 
these interesting but persecuted creatures, and recommends 
the owners of parks and manorial domains to follow his 
example. But what will the anglers say ? May they not 
take exception to a fish-catching bird on the same grounds, 
and w ‘th as much right, as the sportsman brings forward 
in his protest against hawks and ravens ? The diet of the 
