The Portland daily press., 1883-04-16
Rats.
[All the year Round. ]

If white rat escapes into a sewer or
other domain Of his gray brother, the latter
very quickly makes a formal assertion of his
seniority by eating him. But it is very
extraordinary fact that number of alblos
in a cage win frighten away the other rats.
Why this is haven't the least idea: but that
it is so have reason to believe has been
proved in several instances that have come
under my notice. In steamers that have
been overrun with these yermin, mine has
been the only cabin free from their in
curslons, although my predecessors have
complained bitterly of the depredations they
have committed have observed 1t also in
an infested cellar ON terra tlrma, bnt the
mos. remarkable confirmation of this cir
cumstance | ever saw was at sea- l lived In
a cabin on the upper deck, one of several
opening into an alleyway, and all, as we'll as
the surrounding deck-houses, haunted by
these pests to an extent which was seriously
inconvenient, to say the least of it. To keep
bird was well-nigh impossible, while mani
mate property deterorated considerably
from their visitations or disappeared alto
gether So said my nelghbors, FOR | slept
TRANQUILITY over 90 alhinos, and did not see
a dark intruder the whole voyage, though
there was a big erunn under the setlee
Well, everybody declared II must be the
snakes that kept them off, so, knowing that
they had nothing to do with it, l devised a
test The dlspensary just opposite was ver-
min-stricken in common with the rest of the
alleyway; they did not take the medicines,
it is true, though llnseed meal, sticking
plaster, oiled silk, adhesive labels, pill
boxes, bandages, and wrappers found great
favor in their eyes. But what they specially
coveted was towel or grass cloth, such as l
was accustomed to keep there to dry my fin
gers from accidental spills when the boat
was rolling, or TO occasionally wipe bottle
or glass when Serving OUT physlc, as the
sailors used to say. Whether the slight me-
dicinal flavor thus acquired commended it
specially TO them or not, do not pretend to
say; but certain it was that no sooner was
my back turned, even in the daytime, than
the cloth was dragged eff the rail where 1t
hung and pulled in under the chest of
drawers. II was some time before the mys-
terry of this disappearance was solved, and
| fear that my unfortunate boy had rather a
warm time OF ID until he one day desperate
| lv pulled out the bottom drawer IN lucid
| interval and disclosed heap of nibbled
rage. Here was a golden opportunity for
proving my theory l put half a dozen al
binos in parrot cage and stood it ON the
noor or tue dlspensarys Tor Two days the
glass-cloth was unmolested. Then placed
piece of bread there on the third evening
next morning l found 1t very slight
ly gnawed and moved a few in
ches, as if the whiskered banditti
had begun to carry it of but had been
| scared from their intent by ghostly appar-
| ition in the parrot-cage. But ON the third
| morning the cage was furnished with rather
too liberal bed, and during the day the
bread was deyouIed, because the wraiths
were all laid--under the hay; as soon as this
| was trampled down and bitten small, how
ever, so that the white occupants were al
ways visible, second piece of bread was
untouched and the thieves returned no
more until the surgery was relieved Of the
dreadful presence and the glass-cloths made
/ fast to a nail.