. A general history of quadrupeds : the figures engraved on wood . d the air, infected by their putrid car-cafes, has fometimes been the occafion of malignant dif-tempers. Great numbers of them are likewife deftroyedby Foxes, Lynxes, Weafels, and other beafts of prey,which follow them during their march. The Leming runs fwiftly, although its legs are fhortand flender.—It is fomewhat lefs than the Rat: Its headis pointed; and in each jaw are two very long cutting-teeth, with which it bites keenly: Its ears are Ihort, eyesfmall, fore legs fhorter than the hind : The colour of thehead and body bl
. A general history of quadrupeds : the figures engraved on wood . d the air, infected by their putrid car-cafes, has fometimes been the occafion of malignant dif-tempers. Great numbers of them are likewife deftroyedby Foxes, Lynxes, Weafels, and other beafts of prey,which follow them during their march. The Leming runs fwiftly, although its legs are fhortand flender.—It is fomewhat lefs than the Rat: Its headis pointed; and in each jaw are two very long cutting-teeth, with which it bites keenly: Its ears are Ihort, eyesfmall, fore legs fhorter than the hind : The colour of thehead and body black and tawny, difpofed in irregularpatches; the belly white, tinged with yellow. Though perfedlly difgufting to every other people, itsflefh is faid to be eaten by the Laplanders. Where thefe emigrants are colleCled, as was beforeobferved, is not certainly known. Linnaeus fays, theyare produced among the Norwegian and Lapland Alps;and Pontoppidan fuppofes, that Kolens Rock, which di-vides Nordland from Sweden, is their native place. HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 411. THE RAT,{Mus Raitus, Lin.—Le Rat^ Buff.) Though fmall, weak, and contemptible in its appear-ance, poffeffes properties which render it a more formi-dable enemy to mankind, and more injurious to the in-terefts of fociety, than even thofe animals that are enduedwith the greateft ftrength and moll rapacious the one we can oppofe united powers and fuperiorarts; with regard to the other, experience has convincedus, that no art can countera£l the effects of its amazingfecundity, and that force is ineffe£lually oppofed to anenemy poffeffed of fuch variety of means to elude it. There are two kinds known in this country,—theBlack Rati which was formerly univerfal liere, but isnow very rarely feen, having been almoft extirpated bythe large brown kind, generally diftinguifhed by thename of the Norway Rat—This formidable invaderis now univerfally diffufed through the whole country;from whence every method h
Size: 2557px × 977px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1800, booksubjectmammals, bookyear1800
