Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-06-20
The Rats in Brazil.

From time to time in all parts of
Brazil the plantations are subject to the
depredations of armies of rats that is
sue from the forests and consume
everything edible that comes in their
way. During a recent excursion in the
Province of Parana, Mr.. Derby found
an almost universal lack of corn
throughout the Province. due to such
entire crop of last year had been de-
stroyed. This invasion, or plague
as it is called, is said to occur at inter-
walls of about thirty years, and to be
simultaneous with the drying of the
tagudrd, or bamboo, which every
where abounds in the Brazilian forests.
The popular explanation is that every
cane of bamboo sprouts with a grub,
the germ of rat, within it, and when
the bamboo ripens and dies the germ
becomes a fully-developed rat and
comes out to prey on the plantations.
An educated and observant English
man, Mr.. Herbert H. Mercer, who has
resided number of years in the Prov
ince and had an opportunity of study
ing the phenomenon, furnished Mr.
Derby the following rational and Curl
Gus explanation: The bamboo arrives
at maturity, flowers and seeds at in
tervals of several years, which doubt
less vary with the different species
The period for the species most abun-
dant in Parana is thirty years. The pro-
cess, instead of being simultaneous, oc-
cupies about five years, few of the
canes going to seed the first year, an
L. l,a
on progressively, till finally the re-
naming and larger portion of the canes
seed at the same time. Each cane
bears about a peck of edible seed, re-
sembling rice, which is very fat and
nourishing, and is often eaten by the
Indians. The quantity produced is
enormous, and large areas are often
covered to a depth of five or six inches.
After seeding the cane dies, breaks off
at the root, and falls to the ground, the
process of decay being hastened by
the boring of larva which live upon the
bamboo and appear to be particularly
abundant at seeding time. These
larva have doubtless given rise to the
story of the grub developing into rat.
New canes spring up from the seed, but
require seven or eight years to become
fit for use, and thirty to reach maturity.
With the sudden and constantly in
creasing supply of nourishing food for
a period of five years, the rats and mice
both of native and imported species, in
crease extraordinarily in numbers. The
fecundity of these animals is well
known, and the result after four or i've
years of an unusual and constantly in
creasing supply of excellent food and
in the absence of enemies of equal fe-
cundity, can readily be imagined.
The last of the crop of seed being
mature and fallen to the ground, the
first rain causes it to decay in the space
of very few days. The rats suddenly
deprived of food, commence to migrate
invading the plantations, and houses,
and consuming everything that does
not happen to be repugnant to the not
very fastideous palate of famishing
rodent. If this happens at the time of
corn planting, the seed is consumed as
fast as it can be put into the ground.
The mandioca is dug up; the rice crop,
if it happens to be newly sown or in
seed, is consumed, as is also everything
in the houses in the way of provisions
and leather, if not carefully guarded in
tin ntrunks,-MdtIlre