Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-17
RATS AND THEIR HABITS.
Who Was the Author of 81 Smell Rat?"
Curious Facts About Rats

Who Was the Author of 81 Smell Rat p
Curious Facts About Rats.
Troy Tmes.l
We have received the following question
from GA Constant Reader" of the Times .
"Who is the author of the expression /
smell rat p"
Quoth Hudibras, Z" smell a rat;
Ralpho thou dost prevaricate.
-Hudibras, Part T., Canto 1.
The expression also occurs in the "Tale
of Tub" act 4, scene 3. Sir Boyle Roche
got off, in the British Parliament, his cele-
brated speech containing the following
mixed metaphor Mr.. Speaker smell
rat; l see him floating in the air; but
mark me, shall yet nip him in the bud. "
RATS AND THEIR HABITS.
Rats and their habits is not very i'm
portant subject, but may be interesting to
some of the readers of the Times. The
most important of the rat species are the
Norway or brown rat, AZ. decUmdnus, and
the black rat, II. rGttus The brown rat
is known all over the world, and is very
destructive in its habits. 1t belonged
originally to Central Asia. Crossing the
volga in large troops in 1877, it stocked
Russia and subsequently overran ali Eu-
rope The original locality of the black
rat is unknown. 1t has been the house rat
of Europe from earliest times, and was in
troduced into America in l544. The brown
rat appeared in this country about the
period of our revolutionary war, and has
increased with great rapidity, having al
most, if not entirely, exterminated the
black rat.
FECUNDITY OF RATS.
Rats begin to breed at two or three
months old, and will have six or eight lit
tiers year of eight young ones each on an
average. Were there no natural hindrances
to their multiplication one pair would in
crease to no less than six thousand in
single year, and this if they bred only once
in two months There is, however, one
way in which they are destroyed by whole
sale, for not only will rats devour the
weakly and sick of their species as soon as
they are unable to defend themselves, but
if very hard pressed by hunger, as they
doubtless often are, they will eat their
young. The destruction by cats, dogs and
men is as general thing inconsiderable.
The very happy results often attributed to
the use of dogs and cats are usually due to
the rats having multiplied so as to over
stock the premises at the time their foes
are introduced, when they scatter, emf
grating, as is their instinct, in families to
other localities. The number of rats in
any single locality is almost always under
estimated. They live in families, and send
out scouts and spies, which are the only
rats seen, unless great pains are taken, and
person remains quietly upon the watch
from early in the evening, so that he is
neither seen nor heard. Then they are
often seen in scores, and often fierce battles
are witnessed. The rat does not see very
well by day, being nocturnal animal, but
his hearing and sense of smell is very
acute. A rat will never jump higher than
thirty inches, but will climb rough walls,
posts, ETC., easily.
SOCIAL LIFE IN RATS.
The rat is eminently social animal.
Wheresoever man goes, the rat follows or
accompanies him. City or country is
equally agreeable to him. He enters into
your house as tenant-at-will This own,
not you-s), works out for himself a covered
way in your walls, ascends by it from one
story to another, and leaving you the larger
apartments, take possession of the space
between floor and ceiling as an entresol for
himself. There he has his parties and his
revels, and his gallopades (merry ones they
are) when you would be asleep if it were
not for the spirit with which the youth
of Ratland keep up the ball over your
head Sometimes the rat prepares for
himself mausoleum behind your chimney
piece or under your hearth-stone, and re-
tires into it when he is about to die, and
very soon affords you full proof that
though he may have lived like hermit,
his relics are not in the odor of sanctity.
RATS AMONG THE ANcIENTs.
The Egyptians and Phrygians deifed
rats. The people of Bassora and Cambray
to the present time forbid their destruc-
ton. In Egypt the rat symbolized utter
destruction :" it also symbolized 'sjudg
ment, because rats always choose the best
bread for their repast. Pliny tells us that
the Romans drew presages from these ami
mails, and to see white rat foreboded
good fortune. The bucklers at Lannvium
being gnawed by rats presaged i'll fortune,
and the battle of the Marses, fought soon
after, confirmed this superstition. Proser-
pines veil was embroidered with rats.
1t was once prevalent opinion that rats
could be extirpated by matchmaking
5uOiu W H. hihS 'SASS u ~ 49,
charms This notion is frequently alluded
to by ancient authors. Thus Ben Jonson
says: "Rhyme them to death, as they do
Irish rats :" and Shakespeare makes Rosa
hind say, 81 was never so berhymed since
1 was an Irish rat, abiding to the Pytha-
gorian doctrine of the transmigration of
souls.
Apollo received the aristocratic sobriquet
of {. Rat-killer from the following Incl
dent Crn;s, one of his priests, having
neglected his official duties, he sent against
him a swarm of rats but the priest, see-
ing the invaders coming, repented and OBJ
tanned forgiveness of the god, who ami
hilated the swarms which he had sent with
his far-darting arrows. For this redoubta-
bic exploit, the SUM- god received the appel
lation of apollo, the Rat-killer."
Comparatively few rats are poisoned,
but their actions alarm others, and when
the poisoned ones run away it brings on a
general flight so that often not single
rat is left Strange noises, as the dis
charge of firearms or wideawake terrier,
will cause stampede of rats phosphorus
paste causes them especial discomfort, and
Is efficient in driving them away.
The BIRTHPLACE OF ABRAHAM. The
birthplace of Abraham, the Biblical Ur in
Chaldea now called Urfa was almost en-