The Hawaiian gazette., 1871-01-18

The "SxAKTSEss' OF RArs-whsu rats md
themselves 10 danger, whole colony Of them will
sometimes remove from bailding, Of their se-
cord. and set Up housekeeping in some safer place
Mr., Bgckland tells story Of some men who bad
made great preparstions for destroying rats in barn
IN England. When the morning came the men en-
tered the barn with dogs and ferrv,s and big sticks
but not "a, could they fud- The ierrets rau into
boles, and the dogs got under the straw. aud the
nsn poked With their sticks, but not rat could
they 6nd. Afterwards labOrer came and said that
be had seen whole regiment Of rats, or thst very
morning, as they marched away from that barn 10
another. Do YOU not wish that they would march
oct Of your house in that way!
The most singular adventure ever had with rais
this; that after trying in vain 10 catch them 10
rat traps, got nd Of them at last by means Of a
mouss-tr-p This the way it happened. On
moving into house Which had been for some time
vacant used to hear rats At night in the cellar,
making much noise ss If carpenter we're at work
there. So We tried in vain 10 e4ich them, aud as
there we're mice also We set a mouse-trsp. One
morning the cook found mouse in the trap; but as
she afraid Of The little ersstsre sle set the trsD
asde FOR me take out the mouse In few hours
went to look for il, bot trap. mouse aud all we're
goue, nor have they since been seen. We had nsi-
thsr cat nor dog nor had the doors been open FROM
that day the rais all DISAPPEARED. aud We ceased to
hear the carpenters Eork in tie cellar. have al
ways believed that the rats dragged awsy the trsp
into some hole, and decided, they ate their poor
little cousin that should be their last meal in 50
house.
Ooe reason Why rsts are able - live and thrive in
spite Of eveyfhirg IS that they show such sagsciy
10 obtaining food A lady Of ny acq cquaiutanee found
that the eggs in her kitchen disappeared very fast
aod she sud her husband, alter patient watching,
saw the rats at work upon them. She saw one rat
e on his back, and tsks an egg or TWO between his
PAWS, with the help Of the Others. Thus it became
sort Of live sled or wheelbsrrow without wheels.
md another f taking in its mouth the tail q the
int Que, dragged the load Of eggs TO their hole.
)ther observers have seen parties Of rats pushing
Szs up or down stairs, two being busy with each
= Sometimes they have been seen formed in line,
nd passing along the eggs from one TO smother, as
iremen pass water al a Ere This shows the sane Z
Intelligence that beavers show, when they unite in
heir engineering work
The same lady told me she bad discovered how
lts drink sweet oil. HeT husband was an spothe-
ary and had number Of bottles Of sweet oil, some
{ which we're found TO De uesriy empty They
-atehed and saw two rats at work upon the bottle
hey pulled out the cork. or uibbled through It,
nd then one Of them let bis tail down into the
0ttle and soon drsEiug it out, let his cOmrsde lick
, who would then take bis turn and dip i1 his tail
ID the hrsi Tat licked that and 80 they were happy
you may see poor little children around eask Of
ollsses on the Wharves- The sane thing has been
.seribed IN books, but it Is very hard to believe.
turaists say that these stories lack ratiou.
II they would hardly be repeated often if they
ere not true, and believe ny old friends account
any T=te-