ture, and did not understand the neceffity of preferving an equilibrium in a building of that prodigious bulk; and therefore he must

Method of destroying great numbers of Rats in a small time.

HE Society for encouraging

The quantity of matter in the crown of the arch was but little in proportion to that which was neceffary to be laid on the abutments in order to make the afcent easy. The weight of this matter caufed fuch an inequality of preffure on the arch, that in about a year's time it crushed that ftupendous pile, and it fell again to the bot

tom.

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By this time the mason was greatly in debt, and greatly difcouraged but the lords Talbot and Windfor, (who have eftates in that neighbourhood) pitied his cafe, and being willing to encourage fuch an enterprising genius, moft generously promoted a fubfcription among the gentry in thofe parts, by which a fum of money was raised that enabled him to complete the bridge in one arch for the laft time.

In order to leffen the quantity of matter in the abutments preffing upon the arch, and thereby to bring it on an equipoife with that on the crown, he has contrived three circular arches in the abutments : these pass through from fide to fide, like round windows, and gradually decrease in the afcent.

This furprising piece of mafonry, though built of ftone, coft but 7001. has ftood eight or nine years, and it is fuppofed that it may ftand for ages to come, a monument of the ftrong natural parts, and bold attempts of an ancient Briton.

time ago, a premium of 501. for a preparation for taking rats alive. This may at firft feem a trivial, perhaps even fomewhat droll affair for that fociety to trouble themfelves with: but when we confi der that the lofs to the public, by the deftruction of corn alone, amounts to fome hundred thousand pounds a year, besides that of ma. ny other commodities, fubject to be devoured, or damaged by them, and the very difagreeable domeftic annoyance of these noxious creatures where they abound, it will appear a matter of ferious moment.

It was reprefented to the fociety, that profeffed rat-catchers have a fecret for preparing fome compofition which will allure all the rats in or about any building together to one place, and intoxicate or fafcinate them fo, that they may be taken by the rat-catchers at pleasure; it was therefore concluded, that if this fecret was laid open, any perfon might easily practife it without employing profefled rat-catchers.

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In confequence of advertifing this premium, feveral candidates offered themselves but it appeared, that inftead of a preparation, that is, fome compofition which would allure, fafcinate, or intoxicate the rats, fo that they might be easily taken, they had only fent traps or machines of various forms and conftructions.

As those who practise rat-catching for a livelihood are not many

in number, nor always at hand, I fhall give fome hints of the principal means by which in three or four days time, or fometimes lefs, they can clear a house, and even the out-buildings, of the greateft part of the rats frequenting it.

The first ftep taken is, to allure the rats all together to one proper place, before they attempt to deftroy them; for there is fuch an inftinctive caution in thefe animals, accompanied with a furprizing fagacity in difcovering any caufe of danger, that, if any of them be hurt or pursued in an unusual manner, the reft take the alarm, and become fo fhy and wary, that they elude all the devices and ftratagems of their purfuers for fome time after. This place, where the rats are to be assembled, should be some clofet or fmall room, into which all the openings,. but one or two, may be fecured; and this place fhould be, as near as may be, in the middle of the house, or buildings.

The means ufed to allure them to one place are various one of thofe most eafily and efficacioufly practifed, is, the trailing fome pieces of their most favourite food, which fhould be of the kind that has the, ftrongeft fcent, fuch as toafted cheese, or broiled red-herring, from the holes or entrances of the clofet to their receffes in every part of the house, or contiguous buildings. At the extremities, and in different parts of the courfe of this trailed track, finall quantities of meal, or any other kind of their food, fhould be laid, to bring the greater number into the tracks, and to encourage them to pursue it to the place where they

are intended to be taken; at that place, when time admits of it, a more plentiful repaft is laid for them, and the trailing repeated for two or three nights.

Befides this trailing and waybaiting, fome of the most expert of the rat-catchers have a fhorter, and perhaps more effectual method of bringing them together; which is, the calling them, by making fuch a kind of whistling noife as resembles their own call; and by this means, with the affiftance of the way-baits, they call them out of their holes, and lead them to the repaft prepared for them at the place defigned for taking them. But this I apprehend much more difficult to be practifed than the art of trailing; for the learning the exact notes or cries of any kind of beafts or birds, fo as to deceive them, is a peculiar talent which I have seldom seen attained, though I have known fome few perfons who could call together a great number of cats: and there is now one man in London, who can bring nightingales, when they are within hearing, about him, and even allure them to perch on his hand, fo as to be taken.

In the prictifing either of these methods, of trailing or calling, great caution must be used by the operator to fupprefs and prevent the fcent of his feet and body from being perceived; which is done by overpowering that scent by others of a ftronger nature. order to this, the feet are to be covered with cloths rubbed over with affa foetida, or other ftrong fmelling fubfiances; and even oil of rhodium is fometimes used for this purpofe, but fparingly on L3

In

account

account of its dearness, though it has a very alluring, as well as difguifing effect. If this caution of avoiding the fcent of the operator's feet, near the tract, and in the place where the rats are propofed to be called, be not properly obferved, it will very much obftruct the fuccefs of the attempt to take them; for they are very fhy of coming where the fcent of human feet lies very fresh, as it intimates to their fagacious instinct, the presence of human creatures, whom they naturally dread. To the above-mentioned means of alluring by trailing, waybaiting, and calling, is added another of a very material efficacy, which is, the ufe of oil of rhodium, which, like the marum lyriacum in the case of cats, has a very extraordinary fafcinating power on thefe animals. This oil is extremely dear, and therefore fparingly ufed. It is exhaled in a fmall quantity in the place, and at the entrance of it, where the rats are intended to be taken, particularly at the time when they are to be laft brought together, in order to their deftruction; and it is ufed alfo by fmearing it on the furface of fome of the implements ufed in taking by the method below defcribed and the effect it has in taking off their caution and dread, by the delight they appear to have in it, is very extraordinary.

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It is ufual, likewife, for the operator to difguife his figure as well as fcent, which is done by putting on a fort of gown or cloak, of one colour, that hides the natural form, and makes him appear like a poft or fuch inanimate thing which habit muft likewife

be fcented as above, to over power the fmell of his perfon; and befides this, he is to avoid any motion till he has fecured his point of having all the rats in his power.

When the rats are thus enticed and collected, where time is af forded, and the whole in any house and out-buildings are intended to be cleared away, they are fuffered to regale on what they moft like, which is ready prepared for them, and then to go away quietly for two or three nights; by which means those, which are not allured the first night, are brought afterwards, either by their fellows, or the effects of the trailing, &c. and will not fail to come duly again, if they are not disturbed or molefted. But many of the rat-catchers make fhorter work, and content themselves with what can be brought together in one night or two; but this is never effectual, unlefs where the building is fmall and entire, and the rats but few in number.

The means of taking them, when they are brought together, are various. Some entice them into a very large bag, the mouth of which is fufficiently capacious to cover nearly the whole floor of the place where they are collected: which is done by fmearing fome veffel, placed in the middle of the bag, with oil of rhodium, and laying in the bag baits of food. This bag, which before lay flat on the ground with the mouth spread open, is to be fuddenly clofed when the rats are all in. Others drive, or fright them, by flight noifes or motions into a bag of a long form, the mouth of which,

after

after all the rats are come in, is drawn up to the openings of the place by which they entered, all other ways of retreat being fecured. Others, again, intoxicate or poifon them, by mixing with the repaft prepared for them, the coculus Indicus, or the nux vomica. I have seen a receipt for this purpofe, which directed four ounces of the coculus Indicus, with twelve ounces of oatmeal, and two ounces of treacle or honey, made into a moift pafte with ftrong beer; but if the nux vomica be used, a much lefs proportion will ferve than is here given of the coculus. Any fimilar compofition of thefe drugs, with that kind of food the rats are most fond of, and which has a strong flavour, to hide that of the drugs, will equally well anfwer the end. If, indeed, the coculus Indicus be well powdered, and infused in the strong beer for fome time, at least half the quantity here directed will ferve as well as the quantity before mentioned. When the rats appear to be thoroughly intoxicated with the coculus, or fick with the nux vomica, they may be taken with the hand, and put into a bag or cage, the door of the place being first drawn to, left thofe who have ftrength and fenfe remaining efcape.

By thefe methods, well conducted, a very great part of all the rats in any farm, or other houfe, and the contiguous buildings, may be taken. But it requires experience and obfervation to perform them well; and there may be circumftances known to the most skilful of the rat-catchers, which, if intelligibly communi

cated, though they would not en able a perfon without practice to manage this affair completely, would yet greatly affift, and render it more eafy to be attained. It would therefore be an object worthy the attention of the fociety, to procure for the public the most perfect information that can be attained; to which end the premium fhould not be confined, as before, to a preparation for taking rats alive; but offered for the most eafy and effectual method for taking rats, without the use of baited traps in the common way. The premium fhould be alfo greater than before; for 501. is not a confideration for a man to lay open his art, fo as to ftir rivals, that may deprive him of part of his business, or lower his pay. who was before a zealous promoter of this premium, was defirous laft year to have advanced 1001. if the fociety would have joined another to it, to have made up the fum of 2001. for this purpofe; but from fome accidental neglect the propofal was never publicly made to the fociety; though it is to be regretted that this generous intention was not purfued, and fomething further attempted by the fociety.

A noble lord,

break into it, in fmall bits, half an ounce of camphire, which will diffolve in it in a few minutes; fhake them well together, and with a piece of fpunge, or a brush dipt in fome of it, wet very well the bed or furniture wherein thofe vermin habour and breed, and it will infallibly kill and deftroy both them and their nits, although they fwarm ever fo much. But then the bed or furniture must be well and thoroughly wet with it, (the duft upon them being first brushed and fhook off) by which means it will neither ftain, foil, nor in the leaft hurt the finest filk or damafk bed that is. The quantity here ordered of this curious neat white mixture (which cofts but about a fhilling) will rid any one bed whatfoever, though it warms with bugs. Do but touch a live bug with a drop of it, and you will find it to die inftantly. If any bug or bugs fhould happen to appear after once ufing it, it will only be for want of well wetting the lacing, &c. of the bed, or the folding of the linings or cur

tains near the rings, or the joinings or boles in and about the bed or head-board, wherein the bugs and nits neftle and breed: and then their being well wet all again with more of the fame mixture, which dries in as faft as you use it, pouring fome of it into the joints and holes where the fpunge or brush cannot reach, will never fail abfolutely to deftroy them all. Some beds that have much wood work, can hardly be thoroughly cleared without being first taken down ; others that can be drawn out, or that you can get well behind, to be done as it fhould be, may.

but

Note: the fmell this mixture occafions will be all gone in two or three days; which is yet very wholefome, and to many people agreeable. You must remember always to shake the mixture toge ther very well, whenever you ufe it, which must be in the day time, not by candle-light, left the fubtlety of the mixture fhould catch the flame as you are using it, and occafion damage.

ANTIQUITIES.