SIGNS OF A NATIVE RAT INVASION.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 288, 14 May 1898, Page 1 (Supplement)

SIGNS OF A NATIVE RAT INVASION.

At the extreme north of the provinco ot Marlborough, at that part of the South Island which is only divided from the narrowest part of Cook's strait, there are signs of the approach of another of those native rat invasions that have occurred at intervals of from seven to ten years ever since its settlement by Europeans. People iu other parts of known to the writer can hardly 'realise the nuisance caused to settlers by the enormous influx of these little animals. They come in myriads, invade houses in hundred?, if a door is left open they walk in by tens, creep into everything, will fill a five gallon demijohn if the cork happens to be out, eat up everything they can get at, creep over beds where people are sleeping, and in fact make themselves quite at home, without fear, everywhere. They are like squirrels in the fruit treeß, eat the apples, and grapes are their particular weakness. After doing all the mischief they are capable of, they disappear as mysteriously as they came. Dogs get tried of slaughter, whilst often the cat", fleeing before them, leave their homes, and the European rat is annihilated—their one good deed. Luckily they have not the repulsive appearance of their European brother, but are clean and pretty little creatures with beautiful fur that would be of value. Some of thorn have been teen lately visiting the fruit trees and grape viues ef the Pelorus Sound. Old settlers say they are probably the advance guard of the irreat army that is to follow. "* Where does this little mammal come from in such enormous quantities and so suddenly ? Is the army collected in the great forrests of the little explored backbone range of the island, advancing north as the Scandinavian lemming does south until stopped by the straight. Or are v they only local ? Their great quantities seem to forbid the latter supposition as they are rarely to be seen at ordinary times. A bushman may get a glimpse now and then of a shadowy form running from tree top to tree top, taking advantage of the connecting bush vines and supplejacks, but he may jro many months and even years and never see one. Then why do they suddenly quit their normal habits and home in the forest depths? In tho forrest this pretty arboreal rodent passes his life gathering berries in the tree tops and making his habitation in their upper hollows, comparatively safe from the abounding weasel, who, though he can also climb an easy tree, would have no chance of catching the squirrel-like creature in his own element. What is it, then, that brings this mysterious little animal periodically forth in such enormous numbers, and, as far as the writer knows, iu this one locality only ?—Manaroa, in tho Press.