Page:The Zoologist, 1st series, vol 1 (1843).djvu/323

Rh ber of the society, it never had the civility to wait for a second shot if I missed the first. And I believe it is a well known fact, that if you come upon a Hanover rat in such a manner that he has no chance of escape, he will even fiercely attack you instead of giving way to terror.

I may be wrong in the solution I have suggested for this seemingly anomalous conduct of the water-rat; and moreover, it may not appear to other and more experienced observers the anomaly it does to me. But as I said above, I do not know of anything analogous to it; and those facts with respect to the habits of animals, inhabitants of our islands, which have some appearance of analogy, do not, on examination, prove really to have any. I refer to such instances as the unresisting victory the Hanover rat, under certain circumstances, yields to the ferret; the sluggish, nerveless, apologies for attempts to escape made by the hare and rabbit when pursued by a stoat; the remaining of the same animals in their seats until seized by the dog, or taken up by the hand;—and the like.

In the first case the rat has got into the hole which affords no mode of exit, by its very efforts to escape from the object of alarm; and this circumstance at once removes from it all resemblance to the matter in question. In the next instance, supposing the hare or rabbit to be influenced by despair (which is, I think, the common explanation of their behaviour), just add to its alarm by showing yourself suddenly, or raising an outcry, and away it goes at full speed. And again, when either of these animals perseveres in keeping its seat, is it not in the hope of escaping detection, and so avoiding danger? And does it not usually occur with young animals?

The water-rat is accused of sucking eggs—water-birds' eggs; and justly, I dare say: but I may be permitted to mention the following circumstance. A duck had its nest on the bank of a moat in Essex, in which nest it laid ten or twelve eggs, and proceeded to sit. Two water-rats had their hole close by, in the same bank. That they knew the eggs were there, was indisputable, for I saw them actually upon the nest. But the eggs were not taken away, neither were they sucked. I can only suppose, therefore, that the rats eat the moor-hen's eggs, as being the eggs of a bird "feræ naturâ" but spared these ducks' eggs, forasmuch as they were private property.

They are also accused of taking the baits off the hooks, when night lines are set for pike or eels. In this case, I fear I cannot say anything in their favour; on the other hand, I must allow I cannot bring the charge clearly home to them. Appearances, however, are very strongly against them; for I have had baits abstracted, with the loss