Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-10-11

In the indulgence of the prediction for
eggs, rats display great Judgment. Ii would
appear almost impossible for them to carry off
such fragile sp0ils without breakage, but they
do contrive to do So Ii the theft is achieved
without Il confederate, the rat stretches out its
tore-leg underneath the egg, steadies it above
with its cheek, aud hops away cautiously up.
on three legs To convey an egg from the
bottom to the top Of house is still more
difficult affair, and probably an impossibility
for single rat to perform. With tile aid of a
partner, the operation is thus managed the
male rat stands upon his head, and lifts up the
egg with his hind legs the female taking it
thence in her fore paws, secures till her lord
ascends step higher and so proceed from
stair to stair, till their booty is deposited safe
ly in their hole. A pastrycook had some fine
eggs which she priced highly, but the number
OF which was mysteriousy diminished night
after night. Suspicion, Of course, fell upon
the dOmestics. One Of them, maid servant,
hearing one night noise on the stairs, stole
out on the landing, fancying she might be for
tunate enough to detect the egg-pilferer. She
was not mistaken, although she was consider
ably astonished at discovering who the often.
ders were. She saw two rats, one larger than
the other, busily engaged in carrying the
cherished eggs down stairs and felt too inter
ested in watching their proceedings to think of
hind-legs, with his fore paws and head resting
on the step above the lady rat rolled the egg
gently towards her spouse; clasping it gently,
but firmly, he lifted it carefully upon tine step
on which he stood, holding it there until she
came and took charge of it, when he descend
ed step lower, till the clever pair reached the
lowermost floor with their prize uninjured
the wholesale larceny with which the rat is
so justly charged is criminal enough in all
conscience but worse remains behind. He
has been known to make meal OF the fingers
and toes OF live baby. Forty years ago, a
piemaker, fin4ing his delicaces unaccounta-
bly, disappear, determined to lie in his bake
house, one night, and so catch the delinquents.
Unfortunately. they caught him, and devoured
the unfortunate pieman in preference to his
pies. There is one dish that is more tempting
to the rats palate than any other, and for
which he will desert anything in the eatable
world, and that is, detunet relative.
Should two rats agree to settle their differ
ences by combat, their friends and acquaint
ances look on as complacently as distinguish
ed amateurs contemplate fight for the cham
pionship But Immediately the affair is CON
cuded by the death of one of the combatants
the spectators ,incontinently set upon the vic
tor and vanquished, and eat them up then and
there. Woe too to any meeting with an ac-
cident or becoming intirm, for he is gobbled
up without remorSG. W hen rats leg is found
in a trap instead of its being proof of his
resolution of preterring to leave limb behind
rather than remain in captivity, the chances
are that some of his kith and kin have eaten
him alive. In consequence of this propensity
for canibalism, when Mrs Rat becomes moth
err she is obliged to hide her offspring lest pa
pa, or some other old gentlemen of his ac-
quantance, should make his dinner of them.
which he would certainly do, if he found them
unprotected. For the same reason, wild old
rats retire to socitude, disguised with their
kind and if attacked in their retreat, prove
desperate foes, beat off any rats, without re-
gard to sex, that venture to intrude upon their
privacy. An old gentleman of this descrip-
ton will keep house clearer OF vermin than
any cat or dog, for he will allow no brother to
come near his throne. The rat can scarcely
be considered courageous animal he relies
more upon his cunning than strength, and in
the presence of a superior enemy, thinks only
of escape but if rendered desperate by be-
ing pressed into corner, will turn savagely-
the sewer rat being more terocious than his
compeers.
The females breed at three months old, live
in state of poygamy, add to the vermin pop
ulation five or six times in the year, and pro.
duce eight, twelve, fourteen, sixteen, and
sometimes as many as eighteen young in lit
ter 1t has been calculated that in three years
there will spring no less than 651 900 rats
from a single pair. Although this seems too
enormous a number to be correct, it would
perhaps be difficult to over-estimate the num-
bers of these animals 100000 rats were kill
ed in Paris in the short space of a fortnight,
merely to obtain their skins for couple of
manufacturers at Grenoble 5000 have met
their deaths from the dogs and men at the
slaughter house of Monttaucon, in a month";
AT the present time MarseiIlpg is oVerrun wi In
theill traps ana poison proving iutlle against
the army of desToyers, who range even the
public streets with impunity the cats have
fled in alright and the only reliance of the
Inhabitants lies in the arrival of cargo of
English terriers, those little champions of the
pit alone being of any avail against the invad-
ing host.