The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1890-08-02
MEEKER HERALD.
RATS ~ Tree TOPS.

asoih.s iasi-ae. OF Fan Trying to In,
,rosr "u h.suro.
4 curious and Interesting Instance oi
animals changing their habits owing Il
tie altered circumstances OF their sur
>gundings, o., a. Darwin called IL, their
"adapiAbllity - environment" came
under tho writer's notice = short time
ego ON tho Island Of Jamaica While
travelling through the northern part OF
that Island he passed grove after groy.
Of od-oa-nut palms. All the trees fve
years old and upwards, that Il, tho fruit
hearing trees, wor. tin-Eirdled around
ssr!f trunks For i've feet above the
ground each tree Mas ineasad in . plate
II Tin nailed firmly.
Tho explanation IL a strange one. For
many years the sugar-plant.rs In Jamai-
90 ~or- cursed With the rAsasos of rata
These roicnu, would invade the fields
Just when tho can. Va. getting riI,o for
cutting, Each rat would select some
choice can. aud begin 10 nibbls n It's
hase. gradually gna~ing deeper and
deeper Into 1t until /, toppl.d over. Tho
crash Of tho falling cane frightened the
rat, who, scampsrIng of. soon bagan AZ
smother one. Thes. p"sts did enormous
damage and no small Item In Ia. sugar
planters yearly bill Vas the ono Tor the
fst-eateher,
Ten year, ago bancroft Espenl a
Sell'knoSn planter ON tho island. I'm
ported froH India siI couples Of mon
4uo~s ~ i,hp.umoa. the deadly enemy
of snakes sad rats The monnoo>e In.
crA.sd and nuit. piled In An Incredible
manner and them islyes became . pest,
which every means failed To destroy.
The rats At first fell an eAsy prey 70
their d-sToyors and ~.r. soon driven
out Of the nsid, and the s,on.-~Aii
fences that had formed th-lr hon.a
They sNartnri Into tho house. ana
towns, bui we're st!ll followed By the
!shueGmoas The tuli.grown RI, by !iA
res,n-ss did .seap. Tor time, bu, tho
tnonsoos. easily scented gu, III. nest OF
II;ils ones And destroyed them. or.
f.rr-,-like. traced Tn. RI, To It's last
lair and killed IL there The RI. driven
from -S-ry r~su.r. took then 10 the palm
trees, And anon. tho cluster % sfonds
,hA, oso.n each sr-c made It's honS and
reared i,s family In safety.
A. fr,, IL Vas hardly credited that tho
rat bad ,urn.i Into an As,-nr-ai rodent
ba, 4, soon became . palnfui fart. for -
III. frui,,carinr spike pushed Its way
oct, the rats would nibbl- /, OF and ron.
der ii. ,'-. harr-n. Tho s-i,-r has
himself seen rata disturbed by = negro
Who had cllmh-i ,rv- sor tho cocoa
nuts. jump 10 the ground !gliy ni,y feet
1iu, nature has no. endowed them With
the nIno live, Of ca, also. ZOE Tho fall
certainly hacked all tho Wind out Of
them. and they fell an EASY prov TO tho
nearest dog o. man Owing To ,hls nov
dcsoiopmon. In tho habits o! III. j.
mAica rat. III" planter has bpcn obliged
~ :in'i!n- hls ouooanu' tires.
In tho m.aailn" the monsco.- has
turned hi, attention TO tho .artn.yAri.
and shcr-as scs y-ara aso fowls scr-
the ch"apca; sad eommon-s, food. nos
'h-y eau H. -n!oy-d only By Ii. -oli.,o-
do. i,i. another i.s,Anc, Of man TT.
log 70 improve o. nature. No, ioas
ago ,hcrr vAs GOD suines.bird. quail
and tasSs,dfr shoosiaR 10 b. hsi on tho
island. bot - thssr birds build 90 tho
ground. not QUO IL 10 b found nos. FOE
u there IL any thing . moasooso like ii
IL - suck an ~ep. and he docs I. 30 az.
u.iieAl!y. making tho smallest Of holes.
Ma, tho mo;h.r-hiri .;!ll sits On. In
vain hopes OF kaiahins her hsvoi.-S.
y Tribune.