The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-09-18

harvested, not an ear remained, and the
noise produced by their nibbling and
climbing was audible for considerable
distance. After the corn fields we're
devastated, the potatoes next received
their attention. Only the largest were
eaten in the ground: such as were trans
portable were carried away, and hidden
in hollow trees or other retreats for
future use. Gourds and pumpkins even,
the hardest, were gnawed through and
eaten. OF green food, such as clover,
oats, barley, not leaf was left standing.
Even weeds we're cut down and the inner
parts eaten out.
"In the houses, the struggle for exist
ence of these long tailed invaders was
truly amazing. In many of the DWELL
ings, hundreds were killed in a single
day. The cats could contribute but lit
tie aid, fighting such plague; for not
only were many OF the rats SO lsrge that
it would have been an unequal contest,
but by their great number they drove the
cats actually from the houses, not to re-
turn until the plague was passed. Moth
| ing, except what was composed OF iron,
stone or glass, was spared from their de-
structiveness: furniture, clothes, hats,
boots, books, everything, bore the traces
of their teeth. They gnawed the hoofs
of COWS and horses in the stables. liter
ally ate up fatted hogs, and often bit away
the hair of persons during sleep. They
penetrated all apartments, and gnawed
their way through boards and walls of
| houses. bitches that were dug about
granaries did not suffice: the mice would
climb over each other in some corner or
other, and thus reach the top"
The foregoing account of one occur
renee in Lourenco will suffice to show
to what an extent the plague reaches
The same province had suffered similarly
in 1843 AMI 1863 and in all probability
will again in 1889. Our establishment at
the strange appearance and disappear
snce OF such swarms of animal life is
greatly increased when we perceive in
what close relation of cause and effect
it stands with the presence or absence
of food supply, and probably nowhere
among the vertebrate animals is the re-
lation more apparent than here.
This food supply is derived from the
seeds of large bamboo grass (taquary or
cresciuma) growing throughout Brazil.
This grass grows in dense thickets to the
height of thirty or forty feet, and bears
a very large quantity Of seed. It's nat
ural history is remarkable. At regular
intervals, varying in the different species
from six to thirty years, it natures and
blooms, and then disappears. Yet more
remarkable is the uniformity with which
it attains maturity throughout an entire
province, if not the whole southern part
of Brazil.
Similar plaques, though far less in ex-
tent, have occurred in Europe, in which
the field mice unaccountably appeared in
greatly increased numbers. One may
we'll think what would be the result we're
these little, almost insignificant, Great
ures everywhere in such wise to take the
ascendancy. When one considers that
on an average of every one or two months
from five to eight young are born, and
that these young become mature in few
months themselves, he will not be sur
prissd to know that a single pair of the
common field mice, in the course OF a
single summer, would increase to twenty
three thousand individuals. Could all
the conditions which now keep them in
check be removed, every living thing
upon the earth would be consumed in a
half-dozen years.-Science.