Volume 22, Plate XXIII / Mammalia (Mammals)

Black Rat

Mus Rattus

Once abundant but now extremely rare in Britain, this active, lively, and cleanly little quadruped has an elongated muzzle and bare scaly rope-like tail, and is naturally phytophagous yet nearly omnivorous near man. Feeding by night and hidden by day in burrows, it bears six or eight young several times yearly in a soft nest, and is believed supplanted by the larger, stronger brown rat that has nearly extirpated it.