The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-12
BrnLIx's SLAUGHTER Of HIn.rEns.
How the Destructive Little Rodent Came
from China to Germany aud rance.

How tn. Destructive Little Rrdest Came
from China to Germany aud rance.
The farmers nr'und Der | r cent y pro-
sented themselves at one vi tn pub 10 bu Id
ngs wi h Nv drnce that they had kille 10000
hamsters in six months. and received the re-
ward offered for the destruction OF these harm
FIJI rodents. The hamstsr 10 a sturdy little
animal related to the rat, with larR. arcet'e
for grain an thr fly hall sto Ing onsider-
able q antilles In rs TO- for futur con-
sumption. His skin Is Of sons ya.ue and
Il, Their. Is a price on his head, and the grain
he steals and caches 10 worth recovering,
there Ia n little profit in hunting him. Therear
too many hamsters and. like the surplus popu-
latiun Of Europe, hs trios to remedy the evil by
emigration, He has only recently appeared 10
certain eantons Of Belgium and France. aud tho
reception he ha. met would Rrsve him II he
were at all sensitive There 10. Just now.
Ioud appeal for drastic measures to stop the
invasion, and II Ia little wonder that the
ravag-S aud irrlnditv Of the animal have
alarmed the thrifty farmer folk, who leave not
II kernel Of grain iNr the gsaner when they
reap their fields ami. much leas desire TO sup
port hams;ers.
Ths hamster Is a native Of the Chinese En-
p rs and hts overland journey to the Atlantic
has taken a great many years. He travelled
then made his way across Russia. and finally
appeared in the domain OF the German Eu;-
peror. The French include him among the
evils Of tho Franco rrusssn war. They say
he never crossed the RHINE TIL he saw great
masses Of men and horses marching to tho
west. lilo followed alior them To see what was
going on. WAS psascd with the country and
has mover rejoncd his brethren In the east
This us not the first time that an Invasion OF
rodents has been attributed to q marching
arm. The famous remark OF the Marquis do
VI srvils that the only enduring result OF tho
Napolsonio wars was tho lntroducto to tho
west o the Persian rat was not intended merely
"a n witticlSm II ia a well authenticated fact
that the troops who were hurried westward
from the stepp"s OF Asia and the p a ma OF
Eastern Russia 10 take part In those gigantic
gray or Per! IAN rats that iorarsd 10 tho de.
srrto cams gnd found good iivl ng In un-
All ed that thea formidab e eastern rodsnts
were n more thorough sconLEe in their way
than were the N.icoths and Yandals. Tor they
almost extinguishrd the race ~ the black rat
which they supnlanted N the west
Bat he Persian y animal Al, had really occurred
soldiers marchst aga nat Napoleon. in early
timss the peupl. 81 Western Europe know
none of these rodents except the mouse. but
during the crusadr6 vesHsls from the Oriant
brought the black rat TO Europe. and the grny
rat cam" to England as srowaway on mer;
into this country. or war first observed here. in
l775 The American chapter In his history
thus dates from che before the Declaration
common rnr tho world over for Il IL stronger
ana more aggrc sive than the black or brown
rat, and has supLlantsd those animals In
II l. possible to Keen. noIious rodents within
bounds. but It 10 very difficult TO sItsrminAts
.;.ry f:os E. : ~ ss. :i:. NJ