The Washington herald., 1907-09-19

records from the London slums Of babies
! killed and eaten by rats. or even eaten
| before they were killed. the rodents being
driven 10 desperation by hunger and made
savage from treading the dark passages
under the city. a young woman Of Paris
fell I'm swoon from fright when she
found herself accidentally shut in a eel
lar with "a horde OF hungry rats, and was
eaten by them. This ease was paralleled
10y that Of a French officer who went into
a vault 10 mourn ever the bier of a newly
entombed friend He was accidentally
shut In. and during the night was attack
ed and deyoured by "a swarm OF rats.
These are not nice things TO tell Of the
sleek, active little fellows, bur IL only
goes 10 show how vicious and dangerous
they can be- under some circumstance
Even as rats prey on certain animals.
60 there are other animals that prey 0n
them. These stronger enemies are the
fox. the skunk and the weasel. while
owls and hawks find them an especially
agreeable dainty. though often difficult 20
capture. The rat usually dies hard. He
/ is game 70 the last whether lighting "a
different kind Of rat 10 establish sUprem-
acy in that locality. whether hunting
some smaller animal for food. or whether
resisting the attack OF an enemy. There
+ is certain loyalty 90 "a tribe that IS de-
velrped in large attacks. and the rat fam-
/ ily is no easy proposition 10 60 against
when the gray OF brown fighters form
themselves In battle array. The males
usually OutuUmber the females. and are
/ the best fighters The love u q mother
Tat for her young Is said % be the strong
/ est among all animals. She has E0t only
Z o
| OF ten against their many natural en-
emlcs. but also against the father ra'.
/ who is quite anxious % make meal ~
his offspring whenever opportunity pre-
seuts itself.
Keep Themselves Clean.
Rats are said 20 be- The neatest Of all
animals despite the fact that they live In
such uusavury ucighbGrlOuds. and though
/ they find sewers such admirable dwelling
places. They are continually W shing
/ themselves, and "a mother rat never tires
( of turning her tiny babies over and lick
( ing them from top 20 toe. Their vicious,
woliish nature is shown by some instances
where they have been known TO fall upon
/ a wounded or trapped member and derour
/ him without conjunction OF conscience.
+ Trapping rs generally the most effective
. way tl EFItl4iE lAA 1l rats a lIt tt lt-
partmeut store ia Washington was over
T run with them, and sustained such dam
age that its nightly loss was from $40 %
/ $50. The managers were advised 10 try
traps, and The first twenty nights caught
/ l3i rats. After that the depTedatiOus al
most ceased. Before batting traps IL has
/ been found best 20 put the same bait out
several nights, to drst accustom the willy
animals 10 eating il. They are very sus-
I piciOUs. and even when traps were haited
| with their particular reiishes - toasted
cheese. toasted bread oatmeal. sunloweg
( or pumpkin seed. they have been known
/ 10 pass them 10y. Ii is advised that gloves
+ be always used I'm handling the trap and
the bait, as the rat Is keenly alert 20 the
smell Of the human being. Attempts are
/ being made in many modern houses TO
/ have Them rat-proof by laying concrete
/ floors. surrounding drain pipes with con-
/ crete, and closing any new rat hole that
may appear with mixture of cement,
sand, broken glass. and bits OF sharp
stone A rough mesh wire netting placed
over old rat holes, has been found efec-
/ tive in stopping their entrance from that
/ side