THE RAT:
ITS HISTORY & DESTRUCTIVE CHARACTER.
With Humerous Anecdotes.
BY
JAMES RODWELL,
(UNCLE JAMES).
A New Edition.
LONDON:
ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, & ROUTLEDGE,
FARRINGDON STREET;
NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET.
1863.
CONTENTS.
THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF RATS, AND THEIR NATURAL HISTORY.
The Water Vole—The Black Rat—The Albinos, or White Rats—The Brown Rat—Whence came the Brown Rat
THE UNREASONABLE FEAR OF RATS.
The Supper Party—The Rat-match—A boy frightened out of his wits by Rats—A French-woman frightened to death by a Rat—A hazardous Practical Joke
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RATS.
Diseases and ferocious Cannibalism of Rats—Propensity of Rats for hot Blood, or a Rat-match with a Ferret—A Blind Rat led on board Ship by a Straw—A Blind Rat led into the Cabin by its Ear—Maternal Affection of Rats for their Young—A Bereaved Rat—A Rat holding on by its Teeth to a Mower’s Scythe—A Stoat beaten off by a Rat—A Rat in a Gin-trap nursing its Young—Desperate Attack on a Ferret by a Rat in defence of her young
A Rat and a Ferret snuggling together in the Author’s bosom—Wanton Cruelty to Rats—How Rats acquire Confidence in Man—Tame Rats at Siam—A Tame Rat worth Ten Sovereigns—Ten Tame Rats, the lightest of which weighed Four Pounds—A Mastiff, a Cat, a Raven, and a large Rat, all living together—A Rat sold for a Lap-Dog—Tame Rats in Japan—A Troop of Theatrical Rats—A Rat suckled by a Cat—A Cat with three legs suckling three Rats—A Piebald Rat—Familiarity of a strange Rat—Tommy the Mouse-killer—Ikey the Pet Rat—The Happy Family
RATS’ NESTS, AND THE MATERIALS FOR BUILDING THEM.
The Nests of London Rats—A Rat’s Nest made of a Monkey’s Skin—Nest of a Musical Rat—Bloomer Rats
Rats in the Larder—Fish their favourite Food—A Rat diving for Eels—An Eel-fishing Family, and their hidden Store of Fish—Rats on the Sea-coast of Scotland—Rats the Scavengers of London—The Propensity of Rats for Flesh, Fowl, Oils, Sugars, Soaps, Roots, Babies, &c.—A Child’s Fingers eaten off by a Rat—A Child’s Toe gnawed by a Rat—A Child mutilated by a Rat—Melancholy Death of an Infant from the Bite of a Rat—A Child eaten alive by Rats—An Infant Child destroyed by Rats—A Bishop eaten by Rats—Death of a British Officer by Rats—The Leith Pieman—Mutilation of a Human Body by Rats—Rats at the Cape of Good Hope—The poor old Tortoise—Rats regaling themselves with Florence Oil—Rats and Mice skimming Milk with their Tails—Tale of a Rat—Railway Theft Extraordinary—The liking of Rats for Sugar—Rats killed by a Cheshire Cheese Trap—The Rat and the Cherries—Rats in Newgate Market, London—Dispositions of Rats
Testimonies of Modern Writers and Naturalists against the Rat.
PREDATORY AND DESTRUCTIVE HABITS OF RATS.
A Warning to all who have Aviaries—A Rabbit Fancier in Trouble—Destruction of Rabbits and Pigeons; with Caution to both young and old Fanciers—Destruction of an Old Hen by Rats—Destruction of two sitting Hens and their Eggs—Two full-grown Ducks killed by Rats—A Rat pursued by a Hen, while running away with one of her Chickens—A dozen Ducklings stolen by Rats—A vexatious case of Destruction among Goslings—The Eggs of Geese destroyed by Rats—Destruction of Malay Fowls and Ducks—A Rat-trap baited with two or three Dead Horses
THIEVISH PROPENSITIES OF RATS.
Two Gold Rings stolen by a Rat—Watches stolen by Rats—The Rat and the Wedding-ring
THE DESTRUCTION AND EXTIRPATION OF RATS.
Slaughter of 600,000 Rats in the Sewers of Paris in a fortnight—Dogstealers, &c. under the guise of Ratcatchers—A real Ratcatcher—Bite of a Rat—A Ratcatcher’s Contract—Every Man his own Ratcatcher—Lime versus Rats—Rat-killing Extraordinary—How to clear your Premises of Rats—A Well-attested Fact—Rats driven away by Potash
How the Rats of Scotland carry Eggs—Rats standing on their Heads—Three Cannibal Rats swallowing Nine others—How Rats carry Eggs—Rats conveying Eggs down stairs
COURAGE, FEROCITY, AND CUNNING OF RATS.