The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-19
RATS NESTING II TKEE Tors
Troabies eT the Jarnaiea Farmer with
tke lIengo9<s.


curious and interesting Instance o. an
insals changing their habits owing 20 the
altered eirrums sances OF their Surround
! sngs. or IS Darwin called i, their sadSpt-
ability to environment came under the
writer's notice a short time ago, on the
Island Of Jamaica. While travelling thFoN gh
the northern part cg that island be passed
grove after grove Of cOeoannt palms Al
tie tries i've years old and upward that IS
the frtiif-bearing trees, were fln-glrdied
around each Of their trunks. For five feet
above the ground each tree was incased in
, piate OF tin, nailed firmiy.
The explanation Is q strange one. For
many years the planters Of Jamaica were
cursed with the Eavazes OF rats. These ro-
dsnts would invade the fields inst when the
cane was getting ripe for cutting. Each
TAt would select some choice cane and De-
gin 70 niblle At It's base. gradually gnawing
deeper and deeper into il until i tappled
over. The crash Of tbs falling cane fright
rned the raj, who, scampeging CA, soon be-
gan AZ another one. These pests did enor-
mons damage. ard no small item in the
sugar planters Yearly bill was the one for
tie Fas-catcher.
Ten years ago, Baacroft Espent. we'll
known planter ON the island, imported
from India six couples OF mongoose or ich-
nenmons. the deadly enemy of snakes and
rats. The mongoose multiplied la an in
credible manner, and themselves became 3
pest, whieh every means failed to destroy
The rats 81 first fell an easy prey 10 their
destroyess. and we're soon driven out of the
fields ard stone-waA fences that bad
! formed their homes. They swarmed into
the iehneumons. The fnll-grown rat by It's
heetneSs did escape for time, but the unoa-
goose easily scented cut the nest 81 little
ones and destroyed them. or. ferrat-like.
traced the rat to his last lair and killed it
there. The rat, driven from every refuge.
took then to the palm trees, and among the
cluster Of ffonds that crown each tree made
its home and reared its family in safety.
AT first it was badly credited that the rat
had turned into an arhoreal rodent, but il
soon became painful fact, for as the fruit
bearing spike pushed his way out. the rats
would nibhle IL off and render the tree bar
rem The writer has himself seen rats, dis
sturbed by q negro who had climbed tree
for the cocoanuts. 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 81
OF them, and they fell an easy victim TO the
nearest dog or man. Owing to this new
development in the habits Of the Jamaica
rat the planter has been obliged 10 tsn-Iine
his cocoannt trees.
In the meantime the mongoose has
turned his attention 70 the farm-yard, aud
whereas few years ago fowls wese tie
cheapest and comnouest food. now they
can be enjoyed only by the well-to-sle. II Is
another instance Of man trying 10 intprove
on nature. Not long ago there was good
gaines bird. quail aud partridge Shooting
10 be had on the island but as these birds
build on the ground. not one is to asfound
now. for If there Is anything a mongoose
likes Il is 10 suck an egg, and he eloss it so
artistically making the smallest of holes.
that the mother bird still sits on, in vain
hopes Of hatching her brood.