A RAT’S REMARKABLE INSTINCT.
ON a very warm day in early summer I happened to be standing near a chicken-coop in a back yard, when I noticed the head of a very gray and grizzled rat thrust from a neighboring rat-hole, and concluded to watch the movements of the veteran. After a careful survey of the surroundings, our old rodent seemed to be satisfied that all was right, and made a cautious exit from the home retreat. A fresh pan of water had been recently placed before the chicken-coop, and the water looked a friendly invitation to the old rat, which immediately started toward it. The rat had not reached the pan before five half-grown young ones rushed ahead and tried to be first at the water. The old rat thereupon immediately made a leap like a kangaroo, and was at the head of the dish in advance of the foremost of her litter. Then ensued a most remarkable occurrence. The mother raised herself on her haunches, and bit and scratched at her offspring so severely, whenever they attempted to reach the water, that they all finally scudded away, evidently much astonished and frightened at the strange and unaccountable behavior of their mother. When the little ones were at a safe distance, the reasons for her extraordinary behavior began to be revealed at once in the one intelligent action of the old mother rat. She wet her whiskers in the water, looked suspiciously about her, then very cautiously and carefully took a dainty little sip of the liquid. She tasted it as tentatively and critically as a professional tea taster, and when she was satisfied that it contained no poisons or deleterious matter, she gave a couple of squeaks, which quickly brought her young and thirsty brood to her side, and all fearlessly drank to their fill. Now this old mother rat was experienced, and had evidently learned her lesson in that school thoroughly, and so she would not allow her young and untaught litter to taste water which might have contained rat poison or what not, until she had satisfied herself that the liquid was harmless. Does not this look very like reason?—American Naturalist.