The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-03-14
RATS IN TREE TOPS.
Another Instance of Man Trying &c Inn
prove on Nature.

prove on Nature.
A curious and interesting instance OF
animals changing their habits owing to
the altered circumstances of their sur
rOundings. or. as Darwin called 1t, their
''adaptability to environment" came
under the writer's notice a short time
ago on the Island of Jamaica. While
travelling through the northern part OF
that island he passed grove after grove
of cocoa-nut palms. All the trees five
years old and upwards, that is, the fruit
bearing trees, were tin-girdled around
their trunks. For five feet above the
Of tin nailed firmly.
The explanation is a strange one. For
many years the sugar-planters in Jamal-
ca were cursed with the ravages of rats.
These rodents would invade the fields
lust when the cane was getting ripe for
cutting. Each rat would select some
choice cane and begin to nibble at its
base, gradually gnawing deeper and
deeper into it until it tOppled over The
crash of the falling cane frightened the
rat, who, scampering off, soon began at
another one. These pests did enormous
damage and no small item in the sugar
planters yearly bill was the one for the
rat-catcher.
Ten years ago Bancroft Espent, a
well-known planter on the island, i'm
ported from India six couples of mon
goose or ichneumon, the deadly enemy
of snakes and rats. The mOngOOSe in
creased and multiplied in an incredible
manner and tn amSelves became pest,
which every means failed to destroy.
The rats at first fell an easy prey to
their destrOyers and were soon driven
out of the fields and the stOne-wall
fences that had formed their homes.
They swarmed into the houses and
towns, but were still followed by the
ichneumons. The full-grown rat by it's
heetness did escape for time, but the
mOngOOSe easily scented out the nest of
little ones and destroyed them, or,
ferret-like, traced the rat to it's last
lair and killed it there. The rat, driven
from every refuge, took then TO the palm
trees, and among the cluster of fronds
that crown each tree made its home and
reared its family in safety.s
At first it was hardly credited that the
rat had turned into an arboreal rodent,
but it soon became painful fact, for as
the fruit-bearing spike pushed it's way
out, the rats would nibble it off and rem
der the tree barren. The writer has
himself seen rats, disturbed by negro
who had climbed tree for the cocoa
nuts, jump to the ground fully fifty feet.
But nature has not endowed them with
the nine lives of cat also, for the fall
certainly knocked all the wind out of
them, and they fell an easy prey to the
nearest dog or man. Owing to this new
development in the habits of the ia
maica rat, the planter has been obliged
to tin-line his cocOa-nut trees.
In the meantime the mongoose has
turned his attention to the farm-yard,
and whereas few years ago fowls were
the cheapest and commonest food, now
they can be enjoyed only by the well-to-
do. 1t is another instance of man try
ing to improve on nature. Not long
ago there was good guinea-bird, quail
and partridge shooting to be had on the
island, but as these birds build on the
ground, not one is to be found now, for
If there is any thing mOngoose likes it
is to suck an egg, and he does it so ar
tiStically, making the smallest of holes,
that the mother-bird still sits on, in
vain hopes of Matching her brood.-N.
Y. Tribune.