Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-10-19
THE TRADING RAT.


saving Of ,imbsr; aud the last to their
peculiar system Of barter or exchange, 90
curious a hsbi, that Il is doubtful II any
other animal has been known TO practice
IL ~hile In q ~ild OF uttsmed state.
These animal. are much larger and
stronger than the ordinary house rai-.o
much 40 ths, cats are apparently ai'aid
Of them, and canno, be induced TO At
tack them. They are pretty. well formed.
have very brieh, black eyes. and 'ois grey
fur. Their tails are 10, ra,-hke. but are
more like . squirrels. only lees bu'hy-
being covered with fur.
Such keen. intsllissnt-lcokins eres-
lures are they. that but for instructive
dislike TO the name Of rat. We should be
strongly tempted to tame them /. at
use,i,e and tesehable pets. Until they
learn that they have an enemy in man.
they ere quite unsu'pioou'. and will al
Low any one to walk up to ,hsm.
One Of there rats being caught In the
house. | MEASURED him: body. eight
inehs. long; tail. eight inches; around
hi. body, under hi. fofe-lsg-. seven
inek..; ears. an inch aud . half; fur
b.auiifull, fine. grey. ~iih d.rk 'h'de,
nearly black. running lensth-i'e d1-n
HI. back. he ~. very plump aud lat
They haunt house. and camps neat
the hill.. bu, seldom. II at al. those =
few mile. away. The peculiar 'r.dins
Characteristic. natural to this little mer'
ehsn,,ii. wise ~sy., and queer ines'
sem f.r more like isAson than instinct
A few incident. ~hich came under my
owl observation nil illustrate this char
seisi.'ie
soue ven. p.'.irs ihroush the eogn'
,ry, c.mpd In . ds.srtd cabin, and be
fore wrapping itsusl,e. In their blan
k,,. Tor he night. hey placed ih,i
bread Tor brskfs't In . pau near ,h'
hr- Ga rising. u their di.m.y. ne
ciumb Of bread ws. left Ia the pan
| bat |, "a. filed With old scraps u lea
Their. chips. bot''. mouldy bssn'. rsg'
etc. SEARCHING. they found high up OF
parly.broken ,kelf. In an old tin can
their bread packed away ~rh old oseo'
rind.. bon,.. rss. add other Trash.
In the house of one Of my nsishbor.
,h,.s mhekrf. eairrd away 10, Of In
dian or corn meal, aud 10 the mesl'bo'
deposited a quantity Of bird..ho'. which
mixed nth the remaining meal. CAUSE
the kou"kssrer gis., dv'aii'f.eilon. Il
the same house . Trunk Vas secidsntsll
l,f, op,n one night; In the morning
quantity OF rec. bi,. Of dri'd fruit. an
some osi. wefe found mixed up ~it
lose coral bssd. std other small uins
er; Il va. an exercise q patience .
separate tie articles. as may be rsdil
lmssihsd
A .he' p.hsrder. returning 20 hi. cam
thirty mih. away. brought home IN
new hat Placing the box on his table
b., ~,ni s-.y for The night Rs'urnir 8
he found tie toS bed been entered. ,h
ero-n Of the hs, eaten entirely round
AID the box then hlled With vol. Han
mel f.g.. remain. u food. wheat ard dris
fruiv. Tier, ws. sudden forced sbsn
donusn, Of tia, ut,urvsysd "'qga,,sr'
claim"
Some rsrehm.n were gone hsyins Il
several days. camping s~sy from home
After their return they son lsarued ID.
their quarter. had rot been unoeeupis'
daring their Ab,etes A nss' oompo.s
of ~ool ard rsg. dllsd the hJur'sisv
left upon shelf; neat beside The sic,
stood the oof,s-toX; IN u bad been lei
about round Of SO d e,f,e; row h
boz 49,, tilhd 10 the top. mixed 9TH III
coh,e, mouldy ciusi.. tones, snd nnd'
tha, he'd b.en scattered about the place
when I thrw It all out. ssid The ma
Who -. telling me. provoked .s ~s'
| could no, tslp noticing how pre',il
the ns., ~U made up Of gns~ing. II =
old blue army o,,reosi, nd h.nbel 'hi'
and many White rags. put together .
niesly ard made 20 soi, within.
TIL. morning. going 10 the 'ior hou'
for lamp chimney. ! found an ordIn.r
.l... chimney, packed elose With straw
gain. Of rice. oats. wheat. few bean
md chips.
The mfehisf these rats can 20 in
single nigh, !. Incredible. Oae. g,tun
into lady. room. ''rPpsd her hoo.
plant. Of every ls.f and blossom, and en-
.ccne.d himself behind the wardrobe
where he VI. found 9TH a mos, 'inga
lar accumulation Of goods. among then
many br. Of paper. quantity Of rsi'in'
box OF matches. some candle end.
grswed po.,sg- stamps. and 10, Of odd
and ends Nothing seemed TO cam
smi... and they are particularly f..ein
.,ed by anything that gli,ier; ofe
carying off knives. spoons. ard wA'che
and silver. and hiding ,Lem ,h' eiuslly.
They ere "sOod providers. and In th
fell build their nests. and fill them Wit
store, Of es,sbles. the result Of fopsin
expeditions for their families before win
ter i. on them. Under large cotton
wood tree. on q hill eide. partly under
meath . fallen trunk. party Of W foun'
. mountain r.ts nest. IL WAS built VI
nearly two feet In height (; the top or roc
covering /. sloped on ell 'idss, to che
rain OF snow tearing IL to pieces. ~
found /, Was built elosely Of grass. mos.
chips. bones. and many leaves Of III
cactus which grows beautifully anon
the roek.); how they could cut of en-
convey ,hi. ,horny stuff. working |, VI
With the other material, In the elo-e Gov
ering. 10 hard TO updsr,srd. Ava
dom. running in almost under tie log
90 veil built around. out Of reach Of an
moisture OF cold. . clever little bed G
wool Was found. made for the young raj
this wool. Of which there Was a guam
THY. must have been collected b, by bi
from the weeds through which the shes
passed, and from their cofrals.