Rastenburg

RASTENBURG, a town in the province of East Prussia, on the Guber, 64 m. S.E. of Konigsberg by the railway to Lyck. Pop. (1933) 16,091. Its principal manufactures are flour, sugar, oil, beer and machinery.

RAT,

probably in its original sense the designation of tht British rodent known as the black rat (Mus rattus), but also applied to the brown or Norway rat (M. norvegicus), and in a wider sense to all the larger representatives of the family Muri dae. Rats have more rows of scales on the tail (reaching to 210 or more) than mice, in which the number does not exceed 180. For the distinctive characteristics of the family Muridae see RODEN TIA. Of the two British species the brown or Norway rat (M. nor vegicus) is distinguished by its large size, brownish grey colour, short tail and ears, stout skull, and the possession of from io to 12 teats. It is fierce and cunning, and over comes all allied species with which it is brought in contact. Its original home would seem to have been some part of Central Asia. Thence it has spread to all parts of the world, driving out the house-haunting species everywhere, as it has in England all but exterminated the black rat. The brown rat migrated westwards from Central Asia early in the 18th century, and is believed to have first reached Great Britain about 1730. Its already evil reputation has been in creased of late years by the fact that it is a disseminator of bu bonic plague. Black phases are not uncommon. The black rat

(M. rattus) is distinguishable from the brown rat by its smaller size, longer ears and tail, and glossy black colour. it shares the roving habits of the latter, frequenting ships and by these means reaching various parts of the world. On this account it is com mon in many places to which the brown species has not yet pene trated, for instance in South America. This long-tailed rat, origi nally a native of India, would seem to have first penetrated to all parts of the world and to have nearly exterminated the in digenous rats. After this followed the advance of the more pow erful brown rat. The black rat first reached Europe in the 13th century. The Isle of Dogs and Yarmouth, in Norfolk, are the chief of the English strongholds of the black rat. Both species agree in their predaceous habits, omnivorous diet and great fe cundity. They bear, four or five times in the year, from four to ten blind and naked young, which are in their turn able to breed at an age of about six months; the time of gestation being about twenty days.

See J. G. Millais, "The True Position of Mus rattus and its Allies," Zoologist, June 1905 ; M. A. C. Hinton "Rats and Mice ; Enemies of Mankind," Brit. Mus. Pamphlets.