THE PLAGUE OF RATS IN NELSON AND MARLBOROUGH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1902, 30 January 1885, Page 2

THE PLAGUE OF RATS IN NELSON AND MARLBOROUGH.

The following are extracts from a paper on this Bubject, read by Mr J. Meeson, B.A', before the Nelson Philosophical Society on Dec. 6, ' 'Nelson and Marlborough—in other words, the whole of the extreme northern portion of the Middle Island of New Zealand—is enduring a perfect invasion, Living rats are Bneaking in- every corner, scuttling across every path; their dead bodies in various Btages of decay, and in many cases more or less mutilated, strew the roads, fields, and gardens—pollute the wells and streams—in all directions. Whatever kills- the animals does not Succeed in diminishing their numbers.; Fresh battalions take the place of those slaughtered. Young and succulent crops •as of wheat and pease, are so ravaged as to bo unfit for and not worth the troublo of cutting and harvesting. A young farmer tho other day killed with a stout stick 200 of the little rodents in a couple of hours in his wheat-field

. . The local journals of the past six months seem to show that the province of Marlborough, and in particular ' tho district about Blenheim and Picton, first had the visitation. This was, I believe about five months ago—that is to say, in the depth of winter. Thence the rodents made their way in a westerly direction through the Wangamoa to Wakapuka, Nelson. They took to the Boulder Bank and travelled along that curious prong of land to its very extremity. To continue their course onwards they, then boldly swam across the passage leading into tlie harbor, rather than lose time by-retracing their steps, From the Waimeas the invading force journeyed onwards round Tasman Bay to the Motueka, took possession .in countless myriads' of the Valley of the- Motueka, spread round Golden Bay, passed Collingwood, and planted their outposts even as far as Cape Farewell. They have now completely overrun the southern shores of Cook Strait, and have even appeared in great force in D'Urville Island which apparently they could only have reached by swimming the French Pass. It appears that the rat in question is not the common Norway rat, but an indigenous rodent known ap the "fern rat." It is remarked as a curious fact that out of some 400 rats caught in one locality only one proved to be a female.