The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1857-06-04
Curloua Ansodotas of -

ierly Review contains q long and inter-
esting article on the history and habits
of the Rat. The writer adduces numor-
ous authentic instances Of intelligence,
sagacity, and even docile and affection
ate disposition, displayed by rats, which
are calculated to give the reader better
opinion Of this almost universally de-
tested animal. We copy a few para
graphs from the article referred to:
The rat can be savage when solf-pro-
lection requires IT, but he has also soft
er moments, in which he shows conf
dence almost as strong as that exhibited
by dog or cat. On this point the wri-
ter in the Quarterly mentions the case
of an old blind rat, on whose head the
the SHOWS Of many winters had gather
ed, and who was in the habit Of sitting
besides a gentlemans kitchen fire. with
all the comfortable look Of his enemy,
the cat, and such a favorite had he be-
come with the servants that he was new
er allowed to be disturbed. He unfor-
tunately fell a victim to the sudden
spring of a strange cat. He adds that
a close observation Of these animals en-
tireiy conquers the antipathy which is
entertained towards them. Their sharp
and handsome heads, their sleek skins
are the reverse of ropulsive, and there
is positive attraction in the beautiful
manner in which they sit licking their
paws and washing their faces, an oocu-
patton in which they pass considera-
bic portion Of their time
The writer adds that an article on
rats, in an English Magazine, relates an
anecdote of a tame rat, which shows
that he is capable Of serving his master
as well Of passing a passive existence
under his protection. The animal be-
longed to the driver of London omni-
bus, who caught him as he was remov-
ing some hay. he was spared because
he had the good luck to be pie-bald, be-
came remarkably tame, and grew at
tached to the children. At night he ex-
/ hibited a sense Of the enjoyment of Sc
curity and warmth, by stretching him
self out at full length on the rug be-
fore the fire, and on cold nights, after
the FIRE was extingUished, he would
creep into his masters bed In the day
time, however, his owner utilized him.
| At the word Of command, "Come along,
key" he would jump into the ample
great-coat pocket, from which he was
transferred to the boot Of the omnibus.
Here his business was to guard the dri-
ver's dinner, and if any person would at
tempt to make free with it, the rat would
| fly at them from out the straw There
was one dish alone of which he was an
inefficient protector lie could never re-
sist plum pudding and though he kept
of all other iutruders, he ate his FIJI of
| il himself
! These are by no means extraordinary
/ instances of the amiable side of rat ma
4 ture when kindly treated by man, and
we could Gil pages with similar relations.
But it seems, in addition to his other
merits, that he possesses dramatic ge-
MUS. We have heard of military heas,
we have seen Jacko perform his misera-
| bic imitation Of humanity on the top
of a barrel organ, but who ever heard
| of a rats turn for tragedy? Neverthe-
less a Belgian newspaper not long since
| published an account Of theatrical per
/ formance Of a troop of rats, which gives
us a higher idea Of their intellectual ma
ture than anything else which is record
ed of them. This novel company of
/ players were dressed in the garb Of men
and women, walked on their hind legs,
and mimicked with ludicrous exaotness
many of the ordinary stage effects. On
one point only were they intractable,-
Like the young lady in the fable, who
turned TO a cat the moment a mouse ap-
/ peared, they forgot their parts, their au-
i dience, and their manager, at the sight
of the viands which were introduced in
Il the course of the piece, and dropping on
all fours, fell to with che native voracity
Of their race. The performance was
concluded by their hanging, in triumph,
their enemy, the cat and dancing round
her body