THE EXPENSIVE RAT.
It is a point in natural history worth the investigation of keepers, farmers, and any owner of country property how far the presence of weasels means the absence of rats. I have no doubt at all that 'foxes and stoats both keep down rats. It has often been said that weasels also attack them. Personally I do not think they do. Some recent evidence definitely suggests that they do not ; but they certainly frequent rat-holes, and most farmers believe that they drive rats away. The question is of considerable economic import- ance. There is a danger that countrymen, especially keepers, so-called, are unwittingly conspiring to help rats—much the most destructive of vermin—and mice, which perhaps come next in destructiveness, to multiply their already excessive Multitude. The rabbit-trappers catch every animal—in- cluding fox, stoat, and weasel—except the rat which is much the cleverest at avoiding traps. The keepers destroy hawks, owls, herons, and sometimes, it may be whispered, foxes— all destroyers of both rats and mice. It is no wonder that rats and mice so encouraged do us, should the estimate be £20,000,000 or 130,000,000 worth of damage ? every year.
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