List of the Fauna of the County. 173
Rat" from its having arrived in this country about the same
time as the Hanoverian Sovereign; no doubt this was a
witticism of our Jacobin fellow-countrymen. Its fecundity,
cunning, and omnivorous habits enable it to defy all efforts
made to extirpate it, and the destruction wrought by game-
preservers on so-called vermin, by getting rid of its natural
enemies, is a great help to its continuous abundance in many
districts. In the light soils of this neighbourhood (Colchester)
every hedge has its colony, especially where game-preserving
is carried out. There are few animals that fight more des-
perately for life when driven into a corner ; all fear seems
entirely to have forsaken the unfortunate beast, which
appears determined to sell its life as dearly as possible, and
few of its natural enemies will attack the Hanoverian Eat
under these circumstances. I never saw cats even attempt
it, they preferring to seize the rat whilst running; and
almost every cat has its own peculiar method of doing so.
One I remember, always with her foot turned the rat over
on its back, caught it by the throat, and at the same time
fell on her side and gave one violent kick; the result was
immediate death to the unfortunate rat. Other cats throw
them over their heads after having bitten them through the
heart, and others again simply hold them in their mouths
until the rats are dead. But in what way soever the cat
seizes them she always takes care to avoid their formidable
incisor teeth, and at the same time drives her canines into
some vital spot. The town rat is very cautious and most
difficult to trap, and his country cousin quickly takes
warning after a few have been caught, and most adroitly
avoids all snares and gins in the future.
Rodentia. Arvicolidae.
Arvicola amphibius. Water Rat.—Bell, quoting Water-
house, says, "The animals comprising this family (Arvicolidae)
have all the essential characters of the Muridae, but differ in
having rootless molars and in the form of the lower jaw."
There are other characters given, but rootless molars seem