The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-12
NESTING IN THE TREE TOPS.
The Strange Troubles Of Jamaica
Planters from Rats.

The Strange Troubles OF Jamaica
Planters from Rats.
From the Nelo York Tribune.
A curious and interesting instance of ami
mails changing their habits owing to the
lngs, or, as Darwin called it, their 'adapt-
ability to environment" came under the
writer's notice short time ago on the
island of Jamaica. " nile travelling through
the northern part Of that island he passed
grove after grove of cocoanut palms. All
the trees years old and upward, that is,
the fruit bearing trees, were tin-girdled
around their trunks. For five feet above
the ground each tree was incased in plate
of tin, nailed firmly. q
The explanation IS strange one. For
many years the sugar planters in Jamaica
were cursed with the ravageS of rats. These
rodents would invade the fields just 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 fright
ened 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, q we'll
known planter on the island, imported from
India six couples of the mongoose or ich-
neumon, the deadly enemy of snakes and
rats. The mongoose increased and multi
piled in an incredible manner, and them
selves became a pest which every means
failed to destroy. The rats at first fell an
easy prev to their destroyers, and were soon
driven out of the fields and the stone-wall
= hot bod a fboiY, hOr,oc Thav
swarmed into the houses and towns, but
were still followed by tue ichneumons. The
full-grown rat, by its heetness, did escape
for a time, but the mongoose easily scented
out the nest of little cues, and destroyed
them. or, ferret-like, traced the rat to its
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
crowned each tres made its home, and
reared its family in safety.
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 its way out, the
| rats would nibble it off and render the tree
barren. The writer has himself seen rats,
disturbed by negro who had climbed a
tree for the cocoanuts, jump to the ground,
| fully fifty feet. But nature has rot endowed
them with the nine lives Of cat also, for
the fell 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 Jamaica
rat, the planter has been obliged to tin
plate his cocoanut trees.
In the meantime the mongoose has turned
his attention to the farm-ysrd, and whereas
a few years ago few fowls were the
cheapest and commonest food, now they
can be enjoyed only by the well-to-do. 1t
is another instance of man trying to i'm
prove on nature. Not long ago there was
good guinea bird, quail, aud 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 anything
mongoose likes it is to suck an egg, and he
does it 80 artistically, making the smallest
in vain hopes of Matching her brood.