The Meeker herald., 1891-05-30
RATS ~ TREE TOPS.


Ir.ss On Nature.
AcuEi1gs and Interesting instance o.
sull.ai- aEa1riag thcir habits owing IL
tn s'-cyrl circumstances Of their sur
ruuuliB's, ~, as Darwin called IL, their
'aGApsAhiN-y to environment" came
under iAo writer's notice short time
ego on tho Llanl Of Jamaica. While
travelling through tho northern part OF
that Island no passed grove after grove
Of eocos-nui palms. All tho trees five
years Old and upwards, that IL, the fruit
bearing trees, were tin-'ir,llcd around
their truaks. For ave feet atSye the
ground zach tree MSS ineassd in a plate
Of tin nailed firmly.
Tho explanation is a strange one. For
many ycirs tho suraF-p planters In Jamai-
ca were cursed with tho raylrrs of rats
These ToirntI would invade the fields
just Thon tho cane was Fettlug ripe for
cutting. Elch rat would select some
choice cauo and begin TO nibbla a, its
bssc, gradually gnaHirg deeper and
deeper into I, un'il IL t1pplei over. Tho
crash OF tho falling eauo frightened tho
rat, who, sramPe-.Hg OIL, soon began at
smother one. Tho," y 81 iil enormous
damage aai no snail item in tho sugar
planter yearly bill was the one for the
rat-catchcf.
Ton years ago Bancroft Espen.
woll.known planter on the island. i'm.
ported from india six couple, o, mon.
goose ar lei neumon. tho deadly enemy
Of snakes and rats The moBsooss in
creased aul multiplied in en- Incredible
manner and the.n,-lvel L.can.e pest,
which every means failed TO destroy.
Tho rats At Hat tell an easy prey TO
their iostruycfs aud W"ro SON driven
out Of tho loiis and tho stono-walI
fences that had formed their homes
They sNarm"d iEto tho houses and
towns, but we're still followed by tho
Iehncumons- The fu!l-Frown rat by lts
f..tn"sn dil cscap- Tor ilin". but tho
mon;poso easily scented uut tho n.s, OF
iiJiie oHcs aal Jos;Foy,I them. or.
'ssrct-liko. traced the r.t 90 IT. last
lair and Killed lt ihcrc. The rsL driven
from every rvi4go, took then TO tho palm
trees, aud among the cluster Of ,ronds
that crown each tFoc made It's home and
reared IL. family In safety.
A. ,lrs; IL vas hardly credited tina, tho
rat had turned Into an arhoroAl rodent
ba, IL soon became n painful fact. for az
che fruItbcaFing splk" pushed its way
out, the rats would nibblr u, OF aud RON
der the ,r-o barren. Tho writer ha,
himself seen rats, disturbed by = negro
~ho had cilmb.'i trcc for tho cocoa
nuts, jump 20 the ground iuily mfg tco,.
hat nature has not endowed ihcm with
tho min. lives % eat also. for tho fall
certainly knocked all tho wind out OF
them. and ihoy foil an easy prey 20 the
nearest do; or man. owiug 20 this now
development In tho habits OF the ia.
malea rat, u" planter has booa obliged
"a tIn.iIn" his rcrua-nut trees.
In tho meantime the mougoosr has
turned his attention 10 tho f4rm-yarl.
and whereas . foN year, ago fpt. i w,r.
III" cheapest and commoncSt food. nos
they can b. enjoyed only hy tho woii.,o-
do. IL I, another Instance Of nan try.
Ing 10 imprpy. on nature. Nui long
$50 ,h-r- was good Ruia-a-hipl. quail
And partridge sheai!n; 10 h. had on tho
island. but a. tArsr birds build on III,
ground. not on. IL Ia b. found nos. .or
II there IL any thing monRouas likes 4,
Il IA suck an egg. and he do-s 1, 80 ar
tis;lcally. making the umiilost OF holes.
that tn" moih"r-bird still 80 on. In
vain hopes OF Matching hcE brooi-N.
y. Tribune.