The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-02-26
ALL ABOUT RATS.

ALL ABOUT RATS.
According to Mr.. Darwin, there is q
struggle for existence among all living
creatures, ending in q survival of the fit
test. He does not give moral meaning
to this word fttest ; he is speaking Of
living creatures generally, as organisms
and of the organic qualities which enable
them to fight their way in the world
Naturalists say that this struggle and this
survival are unquestonablY true in re-
gard to rats. The two principal kinds
known are the black and brown, the lat
ter being the more powerful of the two.
Both entered Europe from Asia, the
black about four centuries ago. Tho
brown Is also known as the Norway rat
and the Hanoverian rat the latter a
name sarcastically given by the Jacobites,
under the belief that the brown rat and
the royal family of Hanover reached Eng
land about the same time. The brown
has waged relentless war against the
black, until the latter has almost disap-
peared from some localities. This dis
appearance, or lessening In number, is
also due in part to the black rat finding
his home in roofs, thatch, and old build
1ngs, where rat terriers and rat-catchers
can get at him whereas his brown rival
has greater love for drains, sewers, and
underground retreats, difficult of access.
When some of the slums of st. Giles's
were pulled down TO make way for New
Oxford street, colony of black rats was
found in many of the wretched tene-
ments, driven up from the sewers by the
victorious browns. The keeper of a
Happy Family cage had a few of them,
and sold them occasionally for high prices
to naturalists, who valued them solely
because they are rare-as collectors are
very apt to do. A few black rats still
exist in old houses In London, among
the roof-rafters but they are very few.
The brown rat is famous trencher-
man. Nothing comes amiss to him.
Corn, the offa1 of sIaughter-ho
cheese, soap, candles, bacon, eggs, jam,
pastry, butter, oil, boots and shoes, lev
erets and other small game, all serve him
when hungry. But, sad to relate, he is
also 2 cannibal he eats his own species
When two rats fight, the one killed and
the other sadly muhla5ed, the spectator
rats set to and eat them both. 4 lame or
,decrepit companion shares the same fate
Mrs. Rat is obliged to conceal her little
ones for time, lest papa or his friends
should make q meal of them. On one
occasion in France, twelve rats were shut
mp In box the result was nearly as
marvellous as the fate of the celebrated
Kilkenny cats for when the box was
opened, only three rats remained.
Even human beings are not quite free
from danger. The fingers and toes of
babies, lying peacefully In their cradles,
have been eaten off by rats. Once an in
fant's face was obliteEated by similar
means and Eve record it with less
regret) the toes of a drunken man dis
appeared through like agency. About
Sour years ago a Coronerss inquest, re-
ported in the Times, brought to light
sad tale. Between Highgate and Horn
sey, an old house had lost respectable
tenant on account of It's being infested
with rats A new tenant out all day on
business, and his wife out temporarily,
three children were Left at home In bed.
On the mothers return, she found the
bed stained with blood one child had
wounds In the head and under the eye
lids, and hole eaten through the cheek
she died three days afterward an elder
child was bitten IN the throat.
Mr.. Rat displays good deal of inge-
nuitY Ia working ont some of his plans.
He can carry away eggs without break
ing them he stretches out one foreleg
under the egg, steadies It with his cheek,
and hops away cautiously on slle other
three legs. Two of them, working to-
Qefher, have been known TO carry eggs
up, stairs one standing upCn his head
lifted an egg high up on his hind feet 5
his confederate, standing on the next
step above, took the egg, and held Il un-
til the acrobat had come up; after which
the same process was rspea&ed again and
again. A pastry cook once found that
his eggs disappeared IN mysterious way;
an investigation showed that rats made
off with them, down stairs instead OF up.
a big rat stood ON his hfnd lDgs, with his
forepaws and head resting ON tbs step
above; smaller xat rolled IN egg gently
to the proper spot the big fellow ssiEed
it firmly but carefully in his fOEep&wns
and brought it down and 10 on step
after step. One paEticulaR egg adventezEe
is as amusing as conaedy. with khe ad-
diional merit of being kzie. 4 Azas lay
down beside an egg, folded his body
round it lengthwise, azad look his tail be-
tween his teeth to get D fixme3 bold other
rats approached, seized him By the neck,
and dragged him and fhe egg oR tegethek
In triumph what Die the booty |
was divided, does mot appesK. A1r, jesse
narrates an incident, inWhich 3 rat helped |
h1mseh to saBory Florence oil IN an in-
genaoua way the animal glls 4sd ozE she |
covering Of the Aanks innawked hie taiks
a1d hcked OF the unrtuOaaD hreaguxe which |
adhered TO Il. a dxuss oe 11es being |
WITHIN night o9 q family O. rn1n. -ESas |
GOT upon the table, up1as &he dxslna rad !
soaeesred the Aes On the door, aere the